182: Aïda Mekonnen Caby - The Glow
The debut song, from the debut album, of Aïda Mekonnen Caby is a subtle swoon – but it's not a wholly romantic one. There's soft colour here, a sunset hue perhaps, but there's a sense of an edge too, a kind of disorientation that never quite allows it to fully settle despite its alluring charm.
Perhaps it's the chorus, a repeated Icelandic word that takes you out of the story somewhat, suddenly casting a sense of you disorientation. Fjaðrárgljúfur, she sings; Fjaðrárgljúfur, Fjaðrárgljúfur. A real place, out in the countryside a few hours east of Reykjavik, but a word that can be broken down and translated too: feather river canyon.
The song is taken from Aïda's forthcoming debut LP, Mais Uma, one that follows a number of years playing in bands in NYC, as well as big move overseas to Europe. So many ends and beginnings that the sense of displacement here makes sense. She cites Greg Mendez and PJ Harvey as influences and there's definitely lineage there, whispered strands that hold just enough weight to connect her with both of those somewhat diverging back-catalogues.
This is her introduction though, and it digs into something special, carrying the kind of eerie charm it's hard not to return to, not to keep trying to seek answers within it. Maybe just to bask in the glow; the subtle glow of it all.
Pre-order it via Bandcamp
Mais Uma is released August 29th, via Mtn Laurel Recording Co.
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