It was only just recently that former Neon Jungle member Asami Zdrenka began establishing her online presence as a solo performer. Whereby, it was announced that in readiness to launch her debut material proper (which she is currently working on), she would be putting out a trilogy of cover songs of some of her favorite tracks.
We get the sense from Asami’s choices of “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” – St. Etienne, “Pure Morning” – Placebo, and lastly “Strange But Beautiful” – Aqualung, that she’s quite the alternative, indie-pop babe at heart.
There’s nothing like the intimacy of a stripped back cover to lay open your vocal skills to their optimum capacity. For one thing, there is nowhere to hide even the slightest issue, as can be covered up in a band setting, such as Neon Jungle was. A lone Asami at the mic though, gives a thoroughly emotive performance of much intensity and dynamic that you can quite see that she’s ready-made to fly a solo path.
In completion of the covers trilogy Asami tackles Aqualung’s alluringly enthralling “Strange But Beautiful”, a track which on it’s on merit is seen as being a sweeping paean which tugs at the heartstrings. Asami’s interpretation of it, again as in her previous cover efforts, stays close to the original format, but is no less commendable for it.
Asami’s touching vocals have the ability to carry the listener off to a place of harmonically lucid tranquility which beautifully transcend beyond a plateau of normality.
She really has left the best of the bunch to last and into the bargain has left us, much as the lyrics ‘‘I’ve put a spell on you” are keen to suggest, delightfully entranced by all that we hear. Willfully allowing us captivated listeners in an enthused state of being, yearning to hear more, as a matter of significant priority