Dannii Scott – “Saudade” creates something niche and left-field, and yet familiar and comfortable

The EP “Saudade” is a remarkably confident release from an artist who is carving out his own sound and bringing people along for the ride. With a Lofi / Psychedelic release influenced by Brazil, breakups and good vibes, as impressive as this, Dannii Scott will surely be a hot commodity and someone to watch out for on his way to the top. While Dannii is hard to summarize down to one genre, there is still plenty that defines his sound. His considered restraint of the percussive pallet contributes to distinctive sonic aesthetic. It seems Dannii Scott instinctively knows when to drop a tightly quantized high hat, a bass kick, a shuffling off-kilter snare, or not even use a beat at all. It is often the space between the sounds that gives so many of Dannii’s tracks that distinctive chilling quality.

But more than anything, it’s his one of a kind vocal presence running throughout this EP that ties it all together. From the consistent use of understated and restrained melodic vocal elements Dannii Scott creates a chilled organic feel to his music that gets under your skin.

His ability to twist and shape his unfiltered voice up and down the sonic spectrum, creates a unifying instrument that is both haunting and lingering. At times he sounds like Jason Mraz, and at others like Jim Morrison.

Raw and unrefined, “Saudade” proves that Dannii Scott has an unrivalled ability to create something specifically niche and left-field, and yet make it feel familiar and comfortable. From the slow introspective opening track, “Ride The Wave”, the recording shows a subversive and layered mosaic, which together displays the evolution of a genre and ultimately sets the bar for originality.

In an industry that feels overly saturated, Dannii Scott has recrafted traditional genres, enhancing soundscapes and sensory experiences. “Not To Worry”, which for me is the absolute standout track on the EP, testifies how Dannii brings the haze of psychedelic and acid flavors of the mid-60s into the 21^st Century. The track rides a slapping slow-burning groove on which Dannii weaves his melodic intoxication. “Be My Love”, is even hazier and more haunting in its execution.

Boasting a diverse aesthetic Dannii Scott manages to find the organic and blend it with the synthetic on “One For You”. The whole thing encapsulates the power and depth of music – forcing you to see and feel his music in a certain way, not just listen.

It’s a look in to the mind of Dannii Scott who lets us into yet another captivating conversation. All-round the album combines captivating beats with abstract, ambient sounds which create a sense of Dannii experimenting and expressing himself freely.

“All The Space” completely flips the sonic template of the EP, as Dannii Scott hauls out his acoustic guitar and an eclectic blend of vocal timbres, switching between a croon and a conversational tone. In the background, the birds sing and the dogs bark, and the people talk, giving the track a natural live ambience that reeks of honesty and spontaneity, and is quite frankly unheard of in today’s glossy productions.

The EP “Saudade”, closes with the track “Wish You Well”, which uses a similar hypnotic motif as the one that can be heard on “Not To Worry”, but maintains a more somber mood. Pulling off this EP project is a huge achievement for Dannii Scott and will reinvigorate an industry that sometimes lacks innovation and diversity.

There is no doubt that “Saudade” is work of personal and unpretentious original art, with the beautiful sketch design on the cover complementing the aesthetic quality of the music itself.

OFFICIAL LINKS:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSrsYXFQmytq9Qyq1WGvIXGTMxSZi9t07
Website: https://bit.ly/opensors
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6x8OP…
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannii_scott/
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/dannii_scott