Elza

I find no better word to describe Elza’s music than mystical. Imagine chasing a willowy nymph through an enchanted forest, bare feet gliding across the soft soil, as if in flight. (Excuse my corniness.) There is a certain serenity to it, but also an undeniable desire. Elza is the nymph, luring us deeper into her realm. Combining ethereal vocals and a refreshing blend of electronic and organic sounds, Elza flawlessly crafts a unique, dreamy yet nonetheless soulful sonance.

A fresh face to the local Vancouver music scene, Elza made her debut with her single “You Melting” in July. Promptly coming back in September with her solid, 5-track EP Glories, Elza has infused her own experimental, electronic element into her tracks, giving each song more depth and ambience. Here are my thoughts on Glories.

Her pre-released track “You Melting” is a bittersweet track. Elza’s clear vocals fluctuate between somber slurs to introspective pensiveness to dreamy otherworldliness. Her voice is bright and colorful, each note strong and resonant against the simple background. There is delicacy in her voice; each phrase is sung carefully and cautiously, powerful but restrained. I enjoy her usage of head voice in this track. It gives a very heavenly, atmospheric feeling, almost fairy-like. She teases us with these grand, majestic choruses – brassy sounds building up to a big, warm peak – before quickly returning to her soft, delicate subtlety, never giving us the whole package.

Title track “Glories” is another great listen. It starts with whispery vocals that slowly build tone, fullness and rhythm through the verse. Layered vocals give a hazy, heavenly ambience along with the lilting vocals. The verses are chilled, strung and sewn with flowing, stringed synths that give the song a serene, celestial sound. “Glories” is a mystical, tranquil track that evokes a sort of elven ambience.

Another favorite of mine is “Running To You”, which strips some of Elza’s blissed-out synths for a more organic, bare sound: shakers and soft guitars. The simplicity of the background lets Elza’s siren vocals flourish, creating a more evocative, rhapsodical song. There is so much depth, tone and fullness to Elza’s voice and I believe that this track truly showcases her natural vocal talent. The big, brassy horns towards the end of the song also finish it nicely.

The two other tracks are “Purpose” and “Pace”, which you can listen to below.

Elza is a siren, a fairy, a mermaid, a nymph and a goddess in this EP. She guides us through worlds, lulls us into hazy dreams and takes us far, far away while still remaining eerily nostalgic. A bit otherworldly, a bit mysterious but nevertheless beautiful and alluring - Red On Black Music

Elza is a female solo singer-songwriter. Her voice and general musical style is reminiscent of ‘90s mellow solo girl singers, such as Fiona Apple or Tori Amos. Her 5-song debut EP, Glories, is captivating, beautifully crafted, and an excellent introduction to the wonder that is Elza.

The album artwork is superb – although a cover doesn’t necessarily reflect on musical quality, the stylistic portrait compliments the EP well.

Some of the songs on this EP are complicated musically, allowing more focus to listen to Elza’s voice. Others, particularly “Running To You,” are simplified across the board, allowing one to take in the instruments and vocals equally. The general lyrical themes have a great degree of emotion, although there is an upbeat element of hope hidden within the melody throughout.

“Purpose” kicks off the EP with a great drum intro. Elza’s vocal range is different in all five songs, and her approach here is a calming yet sharp one. One thinks they may know the EP’s style by hearing this one, but the total diversity contained is surprising. This track is an upbeat and tuneful song that makes a great opener.

“Glories” is the soothing title track. The cello riff with a soft guitar syncs with Elza’s voice perfectly, allowing a tune one can get lost in easily. As the song continues, the harmony hypnotizes the ear and the track becomes totally immersive.

“You Melting” is softer than the previous tracks, but no less wonderful. It’s probably the quietest song on here, but also perhaps one of the most emotional. The amount of work and dedication Elza and her band has placed into the EP is obvious, and it stands out in this song. Her emotion and feeling as she sings resonates throughout the lyrics and tune. It’s the most beautiful song on the release.

“Pace” is the most upbeat song on Glories. In contrast to the previous track, the rhythm is quite complicated, with some of the guitar shredding completely overshadowing the vocals. It’s still a very fun song to listen to, and it showcases the variety of Elza’s style. You could lose yourself in a progressive electronic beat like this one, sip a chardonnay in a jazz club, or simply relax with candles – all these activities are appropriate with the songs on this EP.

“Running To You” has a mixture of trombone and cello that creates a very relaxing tune. There’s a bit of a jazz component that makes the whole song a delight to listen to. It would sound wonderful playing in the background at a fancy club, or perhaps in a movie during a transitional romantic drama scene. It’s another song here slightly hypnotizing to listen to.

Overall, Elza’s debut EP is extremely smooth and mesmerizing. I look forward to hearing her future works and hopefully seeing these songs performed live.

Written by: Cazzy Lewchuk - The Permanent Rain Press

Born in Russia, her talent fostered in Tel Aviv, and now residing in Vancouver, Elza is an emerging singer-songwriter in the mold of Natalie Merchant, My Brightest Diamond, and Tori Amos. Her five-track, debut EP, Glories, is a haunting yet stunning album. It’s highlighted by “Pace“, which starts off subtly before builds and builds to its climax just as the protagonist makes a discovery.

The title track is another terrific song, which demonstrates once again Elza’s ability to create different moods and feelings in four minutes or less. And those feelings are are spine-tingling.

The EP, though, also has songs that are relaxing and calm. “You Melting” best depicts the sound of Tori Amos while the opening single, “Purpose”, resonates with Natalie Merchant’s early solo work. And like these two great songwriters, Elza possesses a beautiful voice that has you lowering your guard when you hear it.

Glories can be purchased at Elza’s store, iTunes, and Amazon. Discover this young artist before the rest of the world does.

By Ben Young - Revue

Formerly Joe’s Apartment, Studio Records is a rebranded combination bar/venue/record shop on the heart of Granville Street. With multiple stories, the ceilings are at least twenty feet high, making for a fancy and unique concert experience.

It was a quadruple musical threat that Saturday night in the lineup—and I mean this in the best way possible. All four groups brought down the house.

First up was solo indie folk artist Tylor David. He was the most mellow artist of the night, playing simple melodies on stage, just him and his guitar. Initially his playing was very calm. In fact, I almost got a depressing vibe at the beginning. It wasn’t very upbeat, and it wasn’t warming up the audience. However, this vibe only lasted one or two songs; Tylor quickly launched into more happy music, which the audience was more receptive to. Near the end he did a fun cover of the upbeat “Anna (Go to Him)” as made famous by The Beatles, one of the most obscure covers I’ve ever seen an artist do live. He was a fun opener, reminiscent in some ways of a Bob Dylan or Llewyn Davis type.


Next was Elza and her multitude of band members. I consider Elza to be one of my personal favourite up-and-coming artists in the Vancouver scene today. Her voice, melody and lyrics are smooth, beautiful, and haunting, like a calming jazz rendition in a 2 a.m. nightclub. This was my first time seeing her live, and surprisingly her music is a lot harder live. Elza transformed from a solo lounge artist to a full-on rock star, with her band providing as much of the spectacle as she did. This did not detract from her performance or overall sound, but it definitely sounded different than her EP recording. Elza is the Lorde of Vancouver: passionate, on fire, and someone I fully expect nothing but bigger and better things from in the future. I highly recommend her music and live performance, and hope to see her do a headlining show in the future.


Thirdly was Jake Touzel, another solo artist whom plays with a full band. According to Jake, they were down three members: I would’ve loved to see a full set of theirs, as it was still pretty rocking. Jake Touzel was probably the hardest rocking act of the night: the diversity of music throughout this show made for a complimenting and entertaining experience. They put on the loudest, fullest, and highest-energy performance, and are another group I’d like to see in an even smaller venue, perhaps as a headliner.


Finally came the headlining Coastline Pilot. Around since 2008 and now two albums deep, these guys (and gal, their drummer) have been making a sizeable impact in the live Vancouver scene. Their music is pretty much straight-up rock: elements of indie and alternative are in there, but it’s rock more than anything else.

Sometimes the best is saved for last at shows, and Coastline Pilot put on the most entertaining overall performance. Each song upsold the last and got an audience reaction, whom of course were all on their feet by this time. Whether it was their best-known song, the Smiths-inspired “Van Morrissey,” their cover of George Michael’s “Faith,” or the brand-new song premiering at the show, it was one mini-great time after another packed in a spectacular one.

Four great groups convened at Studio Records to deliver a plethora of great music: I hope to see them all again soon.

Words and photos by: Cazzy Lewchuk - The Permanent Rain Press

Her powerhouse vocal performance is one that you cannot help but be stunned by. Listening to her music, you get the idea that at any moment, Elza can kick it all the way to ten, and simply blow you away with her powerful pipes. The brilliance though lies in her ability to play with vocal dynamics- effortlessly crooning at times, building tension and momentum before absolutely killing it. - Alternative Nation