Jarde Salase – Dance With The Devil (2025)
Writing and performing songs in a “…timeless style”, Jarde Salase daubs old-school sounds with modern-day flair. Inspired by the likes of Billy Joel, Gerry Rafferty, and the Beatles, Salase invites yesteryear’s blues meets pop meets rock style; however, slicing through with hints of Ed Sheeran and Charlie Puth, different shades of contemporary pop add to the vibrant soundscape. At only 20 years of age, the Uganda-born but UK-based musician could be considered rather young and given his discography (at least that on Spotify) is all from 2025, Salase might be a newbie on the scene. Yet, as much as his music is new, an old soul is lingering in the tunes, seemingly a comfortable friend, not a new stranger.
Taken from his well-received album Songs from the Fairground – a genre-diverse album teeming with folk, pop, indie-pop and rock – ‘Dance With The Devil’ is a bold concoction of 80s rock and 90s alternative rock with pop-rock clinging to the sides. Produced with John Loschiavo, the track has a sophisticated elegance to the hard-hitting melody; however, as much as Loschiavo’s magical production fairy dust inserts maturity, raw vulnerability exudes from the instrumentation and Salase’s rich vocals.
Pounding drums (courtesy of session drummer Nando Pettinato), soaring guitars, a bold bass, shimmering synths, and some horns peeping in the background, ‘Dance With The Devil’ is a kaleidoscopic breath of air rushing past your ears with the rock-filled sound. For me, however, as much as the melody is soul-stirring and senses-ensnaring, it is Salase’s voice that ups the ante.
A shimmering force weaving through the music, Salase’s vocals have strong, pitch-perfect clarity, yet deeper intricacy exists in the emotional execution. A song representing “…the story of true love being interrupted by wartime events…”, Salase oscillates between the joy of romance and the tragedy of lost love with heart-tugging flair. In fact, ‘Dance With Devil’ could easily be the theme song for films like Charlotte Grey and From Here To Eternity.
Sincere, sentimental, and breath-taking, Jarde Salase has made an impression with his single, ‘Dance With The Devil’. I highly recommend this emerging artist to everyone.
Find out more about Jarde Salase on his X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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