“Prana” by Olla is the perfect merger of musical emotionality and crisp, electronic production value. While you bask in this retro-inspired, poetic ballad, all of the intricacies of arrangement, performance, songwriting, lyricism, and production, work together to give you that hypnotizing, delightful feeling you only get from great music. To create something so easily enjoyed takes skill, effort, and discernment. “Prana” is the perfect example of all of these traits.
It begins with an ethereal mix of piano swells, wind chimes, and distorted vocal samples. It’s quite the dramatic entrance–and an attention-grabbing one at that. Olla’s breathy vocals trickle in, introducing us to the shapely verse melody and a bit of exposition to the theme. An electric guitar carries the gentle, almost amorphous rhythm forward. Without much percussion, the vocal timbre and message get to take center stage. As we progress from section to section, however, the instrumentation does build. Drums lightly ornament the pre-chorus in order to build momentum. By the time we reach the chorus, the climax feels incredibly gratifying.
“No one can stop the flow between us,” Olla bursts into a higher register atop various new textures and motifs. Here, we get to experience the full intent of the song. Pretty much every piece of pop music strives to have a chorus this satisfying. Olla is clearly imbued with a natural musicality, an effective style, and an overall brilliant skillset. If this sounds like it may be up your alley, give “Prana” a stream, or better yet, a download.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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