Eleni Drake - Above Deep Water
Flyctory.com Pros
- Very intimate and personal recording
- Nice blending of different genres
- Good storytelling
With Eleni Drake, I introduce a new name to Flyctory.com. On 27th September 2024, she is releasing her second EP overall, Above Deep Water. Here are my thoughts about the eight song set.
Eleni Drake – About The Artist
Eleni Drake is a London-based artist. She has British and Greek roots. She has released two albums so far, Can’t Stop The Dawn (2021) and Surf The Sun (2023). Additionally, she released two EPs. Her first EP Vanilla Sky released in 2020 featured two very successful singles, King Street and Peaches.
Eleni Drake – Above Deep Water – Track by Track
The eight track EP lasts 27 minutes.
1. Orange Velvet
The EP opens with its longest track. Orange Velvet is a 5:23 minute slow song with a thoughtful, slightly melancholic touch. The song is initially driven by the piano and Drake’s voice. However, the sound becomes wider – and louder. The last part of it even feels angry.
2. Singing Elvis (Part I)
On the EP, the song Singing Elvis is split into two rather short parts. The music video gathers the two sections into one, though. The first two minutes of the 3:50 total combined track have a very slow and dreaming character. Instrumental parts change with intense, but also very personal lyrics.
3. Singing Elvis (Part II)
You feel the reason why Eleni Drake split this song into two sections right at the beginning of Singing Elvis (Part II). The song is intense and much louder in this part, coming with intense instrumental play. However, the track is calming down in later parts as well. The magic of Singing Elvis definitely spreads best when you listen to both parts in one.
4. White Rain
The fourth song of Above Deep Water, White Rain, opens with a fine piano melody and gentle vocals. The British-Greek artist does add other elements like strings later. This adds a nice dramatic touch, but the song overall stays on the fine and gentle side.
5. A Spotless Mind
The next four minutes of Drake’s sophomore EP are reserved by A Spotless Mind. This time, there are rather gentle guitar strums, which accompany her on her first steps into the this track. The song stays decent and quiet, featuring certain string arrangements as well as vocal and sound effects. You rather feel in heaven, above the clouds, than Above Deep Water when listening to this one.
6. Daisy (Keep My Sweater)
The last three songs of the EP feature two additional single releases. The first one is this sixth song, Daisy (Keep My Sweater). Accompanied by the guitar and a wider arrangement later, the song has a strong folk music and singer-songwriter touch. The nice melody of the track makes it to one of my favorite parts of the album.
7. Swim
The first piano chords of Swim remind me of ABBA, but – luckily – the song takes another turn. I really like this song, also due to its lovely storytelling. The song feels a bit like a life performance, which even adds to the personal and intimate touch of the EP.
8. Let it Go and Let It Be
It is time for the final track already (which is absolutely fine, regarding this one is an EP). The style and atmosphere of Let It Go and Let It Be is in line with the songs before. However, the howling guitar and the more intense drumming play a major role in this song. Especially the guitar part adds a lot.
Eleni Drake – Above Deep Water – Spotify
Here is the album on Spotify:
Eleni Drake – Above Deep Water – My View
It is really hard to put a label on Above Deep Water. There is a lot of (alternative) pop and folk music in it. However, Eleni Drake is also showing her very soulful heart and some songs even come with a slight spirit of jazz. This mixture of styles and songs finally turn her 2024 EP into a really nice listen. On the one hand you can absolutely relate to the artist and her stories, while on the other hand she’s always got some sort of surprise for you in stock.
Favorite Song: Swim
Media Reviews 2024 – British Music
Here are all my Media Reviews released in 2024 related to the United Kingdom:
Suki Waterhouse – Memoir of a Sparklemuffin
Elles Bailey – Beneath The Neon Glow
Twinnie – Blue Hour (Before The Dawn) EP
Sea Girls – Midnight Butterflies
Richard Thompson – Ship To Shore
Sean Webster – Summer Has Gone
Ray Cooper – Even For A Shadow
Cold Years – A Different Life
Six by Six – Beyond Shadowland
UB40 – UB45
Kris Barras Band – Halo Effect
Gun – Hombres
The Lunar Effect – Sounds of Green and Blue
The Wandering Hearts – Mother
Mastiff – Deprecipice
Holly Humberstone – Work in Progress EP
John Smith – The Living Kind
Big Big Train – The Likes of Us
Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia?
The Snuts – Millennials
The Vaccines – Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations
Al Lewis – Fifteen Years
Sightseeing Tours
Boat, bus, walks or other ways – here are my postings about guided sightseeing tours:
Biggesee Cruise with Personenschiffahrt Biggesee
Vienna Danube City Cruise (Route C) with DDSG Blue Danube
The Ride NYC
Kuala Lumpur City of Lights Tour
Miami Wynwood Graffiti Golf Cart Tour with Wynwood Art Walk
Dubrovnik Panorama Cruise with Adriana Cavtat Boat Tours
Duisburg Harbor Cruise with Weisse Flotte
Rideau Canal Cruises in Ottawa
Helsinki Sightseeing Cruise with Royal Line
Ehlers Harbor Cruise Hamburg
One Hour Spree Cruise in Berlin with BWSG
Rotterdam Harbor Cruise with Spido
Chicago River & Lake Michigan with Mercury Cruises
Lovers Canal Cruises Amsterdam
Abu Dhabi New Year’s Eve Dhow Cruise with Extreme Arabia
