Yana – Distant Shore (2020)
Yana has always been fascinated by meaningful lyrics. With her debut EP Distant Shore, she is unleashing her own on your ears. Each song on the four-track EP has its own meaning and each was written by Yana. It is only ‘The Book of Your Life’ where the music was written by Liam Oragh.
The EP has been dedicated to Fergus O’Farrell of the band Interference who was a key figure in Yana’s life and a major songwriting influence. Through her folky sounds, you can hear the connection she has with each single. The emotive tones have you moving to her spiritual beat and enjoying every second.
The EP starts with the title track ‘Distant Shore’. You are drawn in with soft instruments before Yana’s haunting vocals sweep over you. The melody has an interesting flow to it that lets you get lost in the lyrics and passionate vocals. The song makes you long for a place of tranquillity or those distant shores. There is a depth of emotion within this song that is wonderful to hear.
‘Will You Be There’ has an interesting opening with this interplay between the guitar and piano. Both instruments have a stop-start to their lines before you sink into the piano. There is an almost darkness to this song coming through in the melody and the vocals. However, this darkness does not have a creepy or sinister vibe to it. It is more like dusk when you are out in the wild. The movements between the melody and vocals play against each other wonderfully making this a very interesting song to listen to.
‘Trapped in a Cage’ takes a different melodic approach as the opening is violin-driven. While Yana always has this emotional depth to her vocals, there is something greater to this in her performance. Her performance swells and fades throughout the song drawing the emotions of the lyrics out. The dropping of her vocals combines with the violin line creating additional depth to the song. This song has a very traditional feeling to it and you can almost imagine it being played in an old hall.
The EP ends with ‘The Book of Your Life’ which has the most lively and upbeat sound of the EP. The opening is light and sets a gently soaring pace to the track. There are layered vocal harmonisations that add to the floating feeling of the melody. The airiness of this song leaves you feeling light at the end of a relatively heavy EP. The violin lines are different from the last as they send you soaring into the air instead of creeping up on you.
Yana uses her powerful lyrics and the depth of her melodies to transport you to a Distant Shore with this EP. Each track is steeped in its own emotions and bring a strange light through darker sounds. Each song also makes you think as you sit back and enjoy the music.
Find out more about Yana on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
