Italian singer songwriter Marta Del Grandi returns with ‘Selva’, her most intricate and shimmering effort yet, a refined devotional suite of astute pop that flows effortlessly, uniting emotional complexity, divine organic arrangements with a sci-fi finish.
“Written in a moment of clarity and peace during the monsoon season in Kathmandu, the song talks about the end of a friendship. With botanical metaphors it reflects on how a special relationship can irreparably break when fear causes a lack of communication and distance. It’s about the realization that sometimes you just have to accept that things can’t be fixed.” Marta Del Grandi
If her debut ‘Until We Fossilize’ showed all the qualities of Marta’s unique approach, tiptoeing between Laurel Canyon dust, Lynchian etherealism and dramatic Morricone scores, ‘Selva’ delves deeper into the undergrowth, showcasing an ambition to deliver a whole new universe, her own ecosystem, where the strength of her voice alone is the pillar to build on.
‘Selva’ was mostly written on the road and in Berlin and when the time came to record Marta turned to her old haunting grounds in Ghent (Belgium). Co-produced by Bert Vliegen (Sophia, Whispering Sons) and featuring a quartet of musicians that have been collaborating with Marta since 2015, the sessions resulted in a flurry of creative ideas and one of the artists’ most relaxed experiences ever, perfect foundation for her growth as a singer songwriter.
Beams of choral light radiate and permeate each track, with layered vocal drones creating a cathartic collision of sharp and soft textures, as almost to guide us hand in hand across Marta Del Grandi’s enchanted universe. The ambition is blinding, and the outcome is here to prove it: 12 songs of sprawling ethereal pop that is vivid, immense and fully illuminated.
‘Selva’ is out 20th October. Available in Black LP & CD.
