Gaidaa - Overture [EP Review]
Warm, bright and easy to love, Gaidaa’s debut is a beautiful, brilliant introduction to all that the R&B artist has to offer.
Sudanese singer-songwriter Gaidaa, was first brought into the limelight in 2017 when her cover of a Kehlani track impressed the Amsterdam producer Full Crate. A highly successful collaboration between the two musicians followed, a song named ‘Storm on a Summer’s Day’ that revealed Gaidaa’s luscious voice in all its glory and today sits at the top of Full Crate’s most streamed tracks on Spotify. Her voice, full-bodied and rich while also husky and delicate, is the perfect fit for the dreamy soul-filled R&B she has masterfully cultivated on ‘Overture’, her debut project.
Gaidaa is happy to bare her soul through her music, but her songs are never without sunshine. She is clearly at ease delving into dark places in order to reveal her honest perspective through her work. Even her first solo release, ‘Morning Blue’, a political song which references the social-media campaign #BlueforSudan which spread in honour of a fallen protester, is sprinkled with a dreamy R&B aesthetic that ensures that the lyrically sombre track sounds radiant. The song is one of eight on Gaidaa’s ‘Overture’ and is the closest the artist gets to melancholy. Mostly, the EP’s tracks are playful and a little jaunty, infused with jazzy instrumentals and R&B rhythms which are tied up nicely with Gaidaa’s sweet, soulful vocals. The record is a plush, easy-listening experience from start to finish.
You might think that an album that’s such a smooth and easy listen may indicate a deficit in innovation, but ‘Overture’ is full of excitement, flair and sonic surprises. While the album’s first track ‘I Like Trouble’ begins as acoustic R&B pop that would sound very much at home on the radio, it expands into something much more intriguing, shifting from an unplugged sound to an electronic soundscape, finally culminating in a sexy, synthy outro. ‘Ride My Way’ has a similarly mainstream feel, but is also wonderfully textured, due to its jazzy skittering cymbals and Gaidaa’s magical layered-up vocals.
The album’s second track, ‘Stranger’, is an easy-going jam with an added dose of cool, thanks to appearances from Amsterdam artist Jarreau Vandal and Chicago rapper, Saba. Also featuring on the record is artist Joshua J, who lends his vocals to the album’s final track, ‘Say Yes (Turquoise)’, an up-tempo duet with a funky, squelching bassline. It’s also got a seriously catchy chorus and Joshua’s rich tone highlight Gaidaa’s husky, trilling vocals nicely. Gaidaa’s voice truly is beautiful. Though she doesn’t choose to belt it out or engage in Maria Carey style vocal gymnastics, such tricks are well within her reach. The album’s intermission track ‘Interlude47 Voice Memo’, an off-hand recording of Gaidaa singing, demonstrates the extent of her raw vocal power and ability (you might be forgiven for mistaking her for Amy Winehouse), while ‘Falling Higher’, an up-tempo song driven by its energetic Bossa Nova beat, sees Gaidaa hit a string of silky high notes perfectly. Even in these early stages, it’s clear that Gaidaa sees the bigger picture, opting for artistry and originality over easy mainstream, pop appeal. Blending familiar musical aspects, she skilfully creates a really fresh and vibrant form of R&B and songs which are both gorgeous and soothing to listen to. We can’t wait to see where her creative instincts lead her.