The Sweet Darkness – She Says (2024)
The musical project of singer-songwriter and producer Gordon Gilette, The Sweet Darkness has been described as intricate, profound, and complex. While he has you thinking about the themes and concepts, his music also ensnares your senses with its eclecticism. Featuring a deep, dark and bold electronic sound wrapped in a blend of pop and soul, The Sweet Darkness is what it says on the tin: sweet darkness. This is my introduction to The Sweet Darkness, but he has been turning heads across the globe for several years. Following his debut album in 2019, audiences have delighted in various critically acclaimed EPs and singles. The latest addition to his discography is the single ‘She Says’.
Despite holding firm to an eclectic electronic vibe, The Sweet Darkness saunters from acoustic folk to bold indie-pop highlighting his boundary-breaking style. Following the well-received singles ‘You Love The Fire’ and ‘I Wish I Love You’, Gilette shifts from grunge-tinted synth-pop to avant-garde alternative pop. Moreover, while ‘I Wish I Love You’ glittered with nostalgic sensibilities, ‘She Says’ blurs the line between 80s pop and contemporary alt-pop transcending time, space and generations.
Difficult to categorise, The Sweet Darkness is a sound to be experienced and not merely heard. Unlike previous material which had a specific flow with a comfortable base, ‘She Says’ is anything but comfortable. You might be lulled into a warm cosy blanket, but you won’t stay there long. Caught in a hammock but pushed and pulled in a turbulent gust of wind, chaotic confusion blasts through the melody. Yet, while the distorted slips of wrenched synths and untuned piano ooze a sense of twisted insanity, ‘She Says’ retains complexity between madness and mellifluous.
The melody can have you twirling about shivering as a kaleidoscopic chill taps your cheek; however, there is sincerity and rich warmth in Gilette’s vulnerable vocals. A track about the love lost, hopefulness retained, and ultimately a desperate acknowledgement of the obvious, ‘She Says’ sums up broken relationships. Gilette explains:
“’I don’t love you, but we can stay friends’ – a phrase that many people know and that keeps the hope of a relationship alive. Until, after a long time, you have to admit that you hoped in vain. That’s what this song is about.”
Find out more about The Sweet Darkness on his Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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