Published by Davide Pappalardo on December 9, 2017
Berlin based and Canadian born Sally Dige Jørgensen is a multi-disciplinary artist, designer and performer, daughter of a South African-born visual artist mother and a Danish Farmer father. She is one half duo project Cult Club (the other half being Laslo Antal of Sixth June), and a solo musician under her own name. In 2012 she has published her self-named debut single under the label Fabrika Records, and the next year she published another single for NIGHTSCHOOL called Forget Me / Losing You; in 2015 her first full length called Hard To Please was published by the same label, showing us a style in which the influences of post-punk, new wave, experimental-pop (here Propaganda‘s influence is very strong, both in music and vocals, but we find hints of Human League, early Depeche Mode, and other 80’s synth-pop legends, too) and dakwave are mixed toegether.
Now she returns with Holding on, released by Avant! In Europe and DKA Records in America. Things have not drastically changed from her first output, but now she sounds more focused and with a clearer, more elegant identity, the songwriting is devoted to the crafting of dramatic synth melodies and catchy basslines, enriched by Sally’s vocal delivery full of larger-than-life pathos and cold melancholy.
The title track is the leading single, a track characterized by a haunting atmosphere and romantic synth melodies, where the seductive voice of the singer moves across the sound layers. Emptiness is a bassline-based new wave hit with enthralling drums and suave keys, full of “rock” moments and evocative effects, I can’t be a post-punk / synth pop number with arches, looping basslines and catchy choruses and reverbs, and No need to pretend a love letter to Music For The Masses, a regal and melodic techno-pop song.
A nostalgic and evocative album with a dominating ethereal atmosphere, elegant, dark but catchy, easy to listen to, but with an interesting and controlled songwriting. Sally knows how to use her voice in order to incite feelings in the listener, be it excitement, melancholy, dread, and the music underlines perfectly her shining moments. One of the most interesting minimal / synthwave releases in recent years, gladly recommended.
Label: Avant! / DKA Records
Rating: 8