Few artists possess the commitment, consciousness and imagination to perennially write songs with powerful meaning and instant relatability, while at the same time retaining an aura of mystique, fueled by an enduring curiosity about which direction they will turn to next, in their musical odyssey. One such artist, is Anjalts (pronounced like “Angeles”), who recently dropped her 3rd single, entitled “Air To Fire”. In it, Anjalts tackles the devastation of wildfires which has left many homeless in both California and Brazil, among other places across the globe. In fact 2020 has established the largest wildfire season recorded in California’s modern history, while Brazil remains the Country with the highest number of wildfires – nearly 75 thousand wildfire outbreaks this year alone.
It’s not a topic you would expect an emerging songwriter to tackle head-on, with so many easier, ear-grabbing templates to borrow from in the music world. But then Anjalts is not your ordinary, everyday singer-songwriter. “Air to Fire was initially a poem that became a song” recalls Anjalts, who also produced, and plays all the instruments on the track. The wildfires issue hits very close to home with the songstress, as she was raised by her Indo-Caribbean family in Guyana, South America.
Anjalts grew up listening to her uncles hiking stories in the Amazon where the local tribes lived, and how they revered the rainforest as a sacred place that represents their entire survival, from their medicine and food; only to see it burned to the ground. “Protecting this fragile ecosystem is essential because it balances and filters our air across the planet,” explains Anjalts. “It’s common sense to preserve it, not destroy it, and we are running out of time,” she concludes.
From the moment the gentle acoustic-styled soundscape of “Air To Fire” begins, Anjalts’ rich, luxurious vocals are as exquisitely evocative as ever, full of enigmatic luster and breathless, breezy resonating potency. On the luminously beautiful guitar-driven palette, her voice conveys a vivid, thoughtful awareness, against a backdrop of sumptuous harmonic flourishes.
The song progresses with a slow-burning intensity, intoxicating the listener by stealth. The outstanding production is equally mesmerizing, with great waves of shimmering pads and choir-like harmonies building and breaking against Anjalts’ afflicted whisper. It’s an impressive demonstration of Anjalts’ deft sonic and mood manipulation, long a hallmark of her music.
Independent of its resolute and somber theme, “Air To Fire” is undoubtedly a masterfully crafted, emotionally rich, and enjoyable record. It’s the most intimate, informed, and confident expression yet, of her varied styles and influences. While the deep textural layers and landscapes in Anjalts’ sound belies her experience, her ability to reign in those cinematic impulses into clean, crafted songs is where her maturity truly shines through.
Anjalts’ debut song “Remember You” was released back in April, followed by her sophomore single release, “Let’s Fly Away”, in July. At the end of the day, her third release, “Air To Fire”, is a testament to the sheer talent, potential, and commitment that Anjalts has as a singer, songwriter, musician and producer. The balance, creativity and range of her sound can’t be overstated. Her latest single gives the feeling that there’s still a lot more to come from Anjalts.
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