Following the release of her debut album Visions, Madrid-based Yamila is back to unveil a second album, that can only be compared to an ethereal, paganistic ritual. Noor, which can be translated to “light” from Arabic, solidifies itself as a testament to Yamila’s devotion to nature, utilising her embedded roots as a cellist and composer to develop her ideas on top of an electronic, modern sound.
Yamila intended for her album to be received as confessional and nurturing as well as passionate:
“There’s so much desire to cradle and mother the world…It’s an album that speaks about care-the importance of caring, and how little we value those who care for others”.
It is needless to say that Yamila’s new album encapsulates this primal yearning to nurture the world around her, carving her instrumentation and lyricism around a gothic depiction of desire.
The album begins with the opening track ‘Embrasser un Abre’, which can be translated into the phrase “hug a tree”. The Spanish artist uses language as a distinct art form throughout the album, travelling through languages including English, French, Spanish and Arabic to develop the feeling of universal celebration towards nature. It becomes increasingly clear through the first listen why ‘Embrasser un Abre’ was selected to be the first track of the album, as it embodies the whimsical gothic style that follows the entirety of the album. Yamila uses a techno-style electronic rhythm to accompany the melodic, flowing style of the strings as a way to communicate the dichotomy between nature and modernity in art. Overall, ‘Embrasser un Abre’ was a perfect way to introduce this record.
Yamila dedicates time to appreciate the power of the pastoral in the middle track of the record with ‘Lo Animal’. ‘Lo Animal’ proves itself to be the most experimental track of Noor, leaning itself into the gothic elements of the album’s instrumentation to capture the unequivocal power of nature. A haunting string section creeps up behind chromatic and fragmented vocals and a frequent dripping sound, bending the listener’s idea of the album from the first track. The ability to seamlessly drive the album’s direction towards an alternative route is a direct testament to the composer’s talent, making ‘Lo Animal’ a fantastic middle track for the record.
Noor‘s final track ‘Vida’ adds to ‘Lo Animal’ aesthetically, having the lyric ‘Vida’ repetitively muttered behind a chromatic piano motif. The use of strings from Echo Collective throughout the album has proven to be impactful, but the introduction of the evocative string section in ‘Vida’ elevates the final track from haunting to emotive.
Yamila’s second album proves to be versatile for all listeners of alternative music. Whether you’re a fan of techno or like to sink back in time to the gothic romanticism of the post-punk 70s, Noor‘s romantic depiction of nature lends itself to all kinds of alternative enthusiasts.
Noor can be listened to in full on Umor Rex