by Matt Watton (@brotinus)
Dana Gavanski is not afraid to write songs. On her third full length album, LATE SLAP out on Full Time Hobby, we are treated to fully formed, fleshed out arrangements that relish in their own musicality. While her previous releases showcased her arresting voice and undeniable spirit, they feel reserved and somber in comparison to this new record – LATE SLAP is teeming with life, in all its joy, heaviness, and whimsy. It’s teeming with music: beautiful, uncanny layers of voice, a menagerie of synth tones and guitar jangles, tasteful strings and enthralling melodies. Gavanski emerges self-assured, and rightly so, stepping out as a true peer alongside more well-known names like Cate LeBon, Aldous Harding, and A. Savage.
Take “Let Them Row,” one of a handful of equally amazing singles. Beginning with an understated bass and piano line, Gavanski’s voice floats on top with a melody that lilts along but doesn’t resolve where you’d expect. Deep layers of vocal harmonies sneak in, as the song’s second movement introduces a carnivalesque synth that leads to a bubbly, rousing conclusion. This is a masterclass in the often-ignored art of arranging – no wasted space, no jostling for position, just an impeccable balance of voice and instrumentation creating an infectious yet refined art-pop gem. The record is chock-full of this: “Ribbon” takes the voice-as-instrument to hauntingly catchy heights; “Singular Coincidence” drives chiming synths and bouncy bass into an unexpectedly groovy space with captivating build-ups and mesmeric counterpoint between her throaty soprano and a deeper male backing voice.
More guitar-driven tracks like “Ears Were Growing” and “How to Feel Uncomfortable” share in the indie idiom without settling for familiar arrangements and tropes. They’re slippery songs in the best way, sliding between comfortable hooks and surprising musical accents – there are quasi-proggy guitar leads, off-kilter but still danceable rhythms. As always Gavanski’s voice is at once atmospheric and strikingly direct. The blend of hummable lines and peppery weirdness sit in perfect harmony.
The artistry of these songs translates into an aural storytelling. On “Song For Rachel,” the warbly flutes and the persistent synths mesh with a lyric and voice to rouse the emotions and capture the vibe of an anonymous relationship as it develops from forlorn to uplifting. Similarly, the closer “Reiteration” embraces the power of Gavanski’s voice and her ear for arrangement to an optimistic, inspiring come-up. Throughout the record, we are invited to move from somber to fun, from introspective to outgoing, from rain to sunshine.
Gavanski has evolved from her earlier, Leonard Cohen-inspired art-folk to something more interesting and boisterous. The wells she draws from sound fresh and vibrant: where in the US, artists like Rosali and Waxahatchee pull from American/southern country-rock of the 70s, Gavanski’s inspiration is decidedly more British. We can follow the musical threads back to Berlin-era Bowie, the synth exploration of Eno’s Here Come the Warm Jets, and the weirdo pop of Kevin Ayers and Kate Bush. This leads to music that demands descriptors like lush, quirky, joyous, arty.
This is an album that invites movement. The pace of the songs is never rushed and never too slow. The way they entrain your body to invent new ways to dance makes you, the listener, a participant in the act of artistic creation. Dana Gavanski’s artistry and talent is on full display, and LATE SLAP is a welcome embrace of music as ecstasy, as play, as warmth.