e!ena – Cognitive Dissonance (2022)
While there are a lot of people living with anxiety, depression and behaviour disorders, it can be hard to describe to others what this is like. This is where ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ by e!ena comes in as it was created as an embodiment of this. Quirky tones, jazzy interludes, and soulful flows all meet abrupt turnarounds for a true sonic experience that captures a personal experience of anxiety.
Woven into the undulating undertones of the track is a thread of hope that fights against the feeling of complete madness that threatens to take over. Drawing on her own experience for this track, e!ena pushes the boundaries of her sound through the DIY production. An independent musician, she has been creating music for release since 2020 and drawing us into her musical journey.
‘Cognitive Dissonance’ really grabs your attention with the opening samples of car doors and crashing glass. Through this shattering opening, a deep beat vibrates through your chest, shaking you up from the inside out. There is something about this beat that makes you want to tap to the rhythm. The dark jazzy vibes of the melody are fantastic and draw you into a world of hazy reds and smoky undertones. While there is a steady movement to the beats, there is a rather edgy vibe to the melody. At times, everything abruptly comes to an end only to rise up again. The melody does a fantastic job of setting the tone of the single and creating the emotions of living with anxiety and depression. There is a tension that rests in the centre of your chest, threatening to overtake you only to be chased away by the smoothness of the piano line in the latter parts of the track. There is a lot going on in the melody that blends and shifts together perfectly, really showcasing e!ena’s musicality.
While the melody sets the backdrop of the single and taps into the deep emotions, it is the vocals that really give everything context and meaning. Her vocal performance is whiskey warm, yet is as intangible as smoke shifting between your fingers. As you try to grasp the performance, it flitters out of reach, teasingly luring you deeper into the jazzy darkness of the track. The vocalisations throughout the track complement the horns while adding this stunning texture to the track. This is easily a single that you can listen to again and again only to fall more in love with it each time.
Dark and smoky, ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ is a masterpiece of jazz tones, abrupt bursts and smooth vocals that really showcases what e!ena has to offer. Each note of the melody has been selected to blend into the next, while hitting out with its own power. Her vocals are smooth and sultry as they lure you further under her spell.
Find out more about e!ena on her Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok and Spotify.
