ISON (album)
| Ison | ||||
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| Studio album by Sevdaliza | ||||
| Released | 26 April 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–17 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 65:55 | |||
| Label | Twisted Elegance | |||
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| Sevdaliza chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ison | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10 |
| PopMatters |   |
Ison is the debut studio album by Iranian-Dutch singer Sevdaliza, released on 26 April 2017 by Twisted Elegance. The album is named after Comet ISON, a sungrazing comet. It includes two songs from Sevdaliza's second extended play, Children of Silk (2015), "Amandine Insensible" and the first single "Marilyn Monroe". "Human" was released as the second single on 17 November 2016, which was followed by "Hero" being released as the third single on 4 April 2017 and "Hubris" as the fourth single on 12 April.
The album cover frames Sevdaliza as mother to herself, to her past lives, and to the album’s 16 songs.
PopMatters said that the album is "a headfirst dive into the downtempo" while characterizing the album as trip-hop, "smokey jazz", and "styles too unique to name before ending with."Pitchfork said the album is "a modern-day trip hop album built on minimal breakbeats and heavy layers of orchestration courtesy," while stating Sevdaliza "switches between the stately inflection of a classic jazz singer backed by strings and the brassy nerve of a digital-age R&B artist flexing and cooing over the beat."NPR said the album navigates "trip-hop, industrial R&B and a strain of dubstep that's more soul than shuffle."The Fader stated the album consists of "16 trip-hop inflected tracks."Slug Magazine noted that the album "has stuck closely to her previous work of trip-hop/electronic EP releases," while comparing certain tracks to those of Radiohead and Beyoncé.We Plug Good Music said the album is "experimental yet cohesive, philosophical yet emotive and ambitious yet consistently focused on its messages," while stating that "the intoxicating communication is coated in layers of genre-blending creativity that hop from Banks-like alternative R&B to Danny Elfman style orchestral drama to elements of Jazz to form into unique and sensual avant-pop and is encased in an epic time length that's comparable to Janelle Monáe releases in justification." They've also compared the sound of the album to those of Portishead, Aphex Twin and Massive Attack.GIGsoup stated: "The music Sevdaliza creates has repeatedly been likened to 'alternative R&B' artists such as FKA Twigs and Kelela, and while not entirely unfair, such comparisons only tell part of the story. There's certainly no shortage of industrial-flavoured electronics to be found on ISON, however, these are also combined with trip hop beats, orchestral arrangements, subtle keys, stunningly agile vocals and deeply reflective lyrics, all of which are woven together into a rich and detailed tapestry," adding that "while similarities with the work of FKA Twigs and Kelela can be found on the likes of "Hero" and "Human", it's the influence of Portishead which looms largest over the album." They've also mentioned that the influence of Björk is notable within the orchestral arrangements, which gives "a subtle hint" of her 1997 album, Homogenic.
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