Golden Hour by Cardiff’s Freyja Elsy is a contemplative and enveloping offering of chill out electronic pop - an exciting song with a great sense of depth and purpose, not unlike a good cup of coffee.
Immediately setting the tone with an atmospheric backdrop of organic electronica and stuttering vocal samples, Golden Hour first brings to mind assorted classic trip hop such as Massive Attack or Dido, with a few hints of more recent acts like London Grammar, while a tick-tocking piano line suggests a songwriter at its core. With Freyja’s articulate voice and reflective lyrics taking centre stage, the tasteful production is seemingly minimalist on first listen, however, there is a great deal to extract from the rich palette of synths, chimes and harmony layers which develop throughout the track. As an artist whose various profiles and pages describe her as a "composer", "producer", "songwriter", "sound designer" and "voice actor", Frayja's attuned level of expressive craft and attention to detail is clear.
Deep and dream-like yet alert and compelling, the track brims with a certain contained energy – like the gentle adrenaline and clarity of thought which only crystalise during late nights or early mornings. Reflecting lyrics which capture the excitement of new beginnings, a sense of anticipation and uncertainty is conveyed by the verse’s simple yet effective 2-chord motion as a pulsing kick-snare pattern keeps skipping heartbeats, before giving way to the arpeggiating cry of the chorus, which rises resolutely with an impressively Björk-level of acrobatic control against a warm glow of organic tones and textures.
Fitting for its lyrical themes, Golden Hour leaves things somewhat open-ended and unresolved, its gentle close feeling more like a pause than a conclusion – I’m left intrigued by what might come next.
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