Sahra da Silva – EP review

Maybe the term ‘classic’ only applies when the world agrees on it, but I’m going to put my neck on the line by saying Sahra da Silva’s new EP ‘Sahra da Silva and the Jagged Soul‘ have created a timeless classic within the newly born genre we call ‘Scandinavian Soul.’

When Sahra da Silva first appeared on the ‘Denmarks Got Talent’ 2010 audition (performing the song ‘Soulmate‘ ), she sang cross-legged and bare-footed on the floor and left the stage to a standing ovation, and since then I’ve been eagerly awaiting her first release.

Sahra is pure, raw, natural talent, with a raspy voice that seeps into your very soul. I could draw a parallel between her and the late great Janis Joplin, but I refuse to compare. Sahra’s individual merits are already plenty to discuss.

Soulmate is, without doubt, the stand-out track on this 4-track EP. It boldly showcases Sahra da Silva at her best – as an intimate, gutsy vocalist with undeniably passion and fire in her voice. The lyrics are strong and expressive, and the track’s clean production allows Sahra space and time (6:02) to draw you in. The haunting electric guitar would sit well in a Tarantino movie, and I’m excited to hear the guitarist set free in a future live performance.

This song easily lets me tick all the checkboxes I have for the term ‘classic.’

I strongly recommend listening to this EP through high-quality headphones or speakers it deserves, so ditch those iPhone headphones!

The other three songs, ‘Don’t you Dare,’ ‘Leaving you Behind‘ (another personal favourite with amazing vocals), and ‘Only Mine‘ give us more of her powerful emotional drive, and, even better, no song is under 5 minutes.

Together with her band ‘The Jagged Soul,’ she has developed a raw blues/soul sound and a musical understanding that makes the future sound very exciting indeed.