Similar to the sounds of Brooklyn artist Lana Del Rey, Zella Day offers listeners a pop-filled album with siren-like singing. Day’s entrancing voice demands attention.
Singer-songwriter Day, from Pinetop, Arizona, released her first album “Powered by Love” in 2009, but it wasn’t until 2012 that she gained popularity with her cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” Since then, her sound has been spreading.
Day’s song “Hypnotic,” on her latest album “Kicker,” was released on an EP in 2014 and spent time on iTunes’ “Singles of the Week.” The list lets listeners download it for free. A music video for the song was released early this year and has nearly 2 million views on VEVO.
Day’s “Kicker” greatly resembles Lana Del Rey’s works, which have been categorized as Hollywood pop or sadcore. It has a distinct sound easily recognized by fans. However, for listeners who aren’t normally fans of this type of music, Zella Day is a good place to start.
The opening track “Jerome” quickly grabs attention. Dramatic with an almost Western sound, the song sets a tone for the rest of the album. Day’s unique vocals along with the piano-filled track offers listeners a great tune to sing along to. This is also one of the songs on the album that has less of a pop quality than other tracks.
Another track worth a listen is “Ace of Hearts.” This is a slower song that includes more digitized music, but still has Day’s strong vocals. Similarly, “East of Eden” has a slower pace with a focus on Day’s voice.
The fan favorite “Hypnotic” has a different feel than “Ace of Hearts” and “East of Eden.” This song has more energy, focusing less on Day’s vocals. The computer-generated music is more in focus in this track.
Towards the end of the album, the song “Jameson” steals the show. This acoustic track highlights Day’s soulful voice in a slow and personal way. The lone guitar and Day’s voice allow listeners to focus on the words, and this song causes goose bumps. The other minimal effects in the background are the icing on the cake.
“Kicker” gets four out of five stars. As someone who wasn’t a fan of this type of music, I can say the Zella Day has made me one.
Fans of Day will also like Lana Del Rey, Dark Waves and Halsey.
