Lyricism, I mean real, authentic, honest lyricism, is something that seems to have been left behind in the contemporary music world. In the short span of attention time we find ourselves in, it seems that in the undignified rush to be seen, by the time the spotlight falls on most artists, they realise too late that they have neglected to have anything to say. Well, not Dessa!
Right from the off, “Tough Call,” the first track of this double A-side release, shows that she has a way with words; her dexterous delivery and clever rhymes seem to bridge the stark sentiments of the rap world and the accessibility of the pop realm. Brooding, staccato rhythms —part futuristic dancefloor groove, part poised pop pulses—serve as the musical vehicle, the space and minimalism of which are enough to frame and underline the prescient poetry she gives us.
“Camelot” runs on denser, liquid sonics, both layered and luxurious, more driving and deft than before but no less perfect for a delivery system for her word play and one-liners, devastating deliveries and powerful prose.
As a statement of intent, this brace of songs is going to ping loudly on the radar of any discerning music fan. And where do they fall on the musical map? Well, who cares! Somewhere to the left of pop proper and adjacent to more urban, street-smart forms, perhaps? Halfway between cultish and commercial? At that point where the underground goes overground and rushes the barricades of expectation and conformity?
Plotting precise location is something for the sonic archivists of the future, but Dessa does feel like a sonic Trojan horse, someone being welcomed into the relative calm and comfort zones of the pop world, someone who will irrevocably change the musical landscape around her.
And about time too!
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