Review Summary: hey hey, i won't forget you
Throughout her career, we've gotten to see Veela play many different characters. A frequent guest vocalist for a myriad of different producers, the EDM artist reinvented herself for each new piece she was featured on. Sometimes, it would be a familiar face - a lovelorn Zelda on "Dragon Roost" or StarCraft's contemplative Sarah Kerrigan on "Ghost Assassin" - and other times it would be a character of her own design. She's had a million different faces and told a million different tales, all to the sound of a bass-drop. However, while her hypnotic dance tunes turned our heads towards the clouds, her lyrics were always very much planted in reality. Her knack for weaving stories of relatable woes into the realm of fantasy was a dichotomy that breathed true life into her multiple roles. The aforementioned and one of her most popular songs stands as one of the best examples; on "Ghost Assassin" she depicts the fall from grace of soldier Sarah Kerrigan to the Zerg's Queen of Blades "
I don't want to know what she did/she's not who I am/at least that's what I thought/now I'm second guessing", and her struggle coming to grips with what she's become is all so palpable. The very crux of the song dwells on the question, "are you happy with who you are now, or who you were then?" Most of her songs present very similar, real-world quandaries. However with her new EP titled
2233, she removes her disguises, allowing us a glimpse of Veela's most vulnerable persona - herself.
This isn't the first time she's taken off the mask. Scattered amongst her large discography are several tracks where she's ventured out in her own skin, but
2233 is easily the singer's most exposed collection of songs to date. It's been a long time coming too; initially announced in 2013, the EP was put on hold after the singer's father became ill, and unfortunately passed in 2015. Unnamed at the time of its initial unveiling, the EP's title
2233 holds significant meaning as the address of her father's home, which was bulldozed as of earlier this week - certainly the catalyst for this project's seemingly out-of-the-blue release. The majority of it was written in that very house and though lyrically it has nothing to do with her experiences dealing with her recent tragedy, it's more than fitting that the singer's most personal effort would be in tribute to her late father.
2233 sees Veela stripping away everything we've come to know about her music. It's certainly a risky move for an artist who has built her career on fist-pumping rave-ready anthems, but here the veil is drawn - no synths, no electronics, just Veela's voice paired with scant piano arrangements. The minimalism of the music certainly serves its purpose well throughout
2233; setting the tone for six somber tracks, Veela's key-work is simplistic yet compelling in of itself while still allowing her pristine vocals to take the spotlight. And boy, does her voice shine. It juxtaposes raw and ethereal, and in tracks like the broken-hearted ballad "I Remember You", it soars when needed and then cracks at just the right times. As the song closes, Veela apprehensively asks "
Hey lover, can you see me?" and her voice delicately trails off in bated-breath as if afraid of the inevitable answer. It's such a subtle yet poignant choice that drives home the song's theme of unrequited love.
The second half of the EP are three live songs, which also deliver. "Moi" and "Emaraude" are both performed completely in French, and are simply amazing. A Canadian native, her fluency is perfect, and these two songs add so much depth to her character. "Moi" in particular is an easy standout, rife with magical melodies and her most moving delivery on the entire album. Being "raw" tracks, these three songs feature wrong notes, mic bumps, and a few other mistakes; and they are perfect. These songs more than anything continue to flesh out Veela, who admirably flaunts these imperfections as a part of herself. It's her willingness to be so open and bare on
2233 that makes it such a worthwhile release. Here, we get to know Veela; her pain, her insecurities, and her imperfections. As much as her fans love her portrayals of Kerrigan, Zelda and others, I would bet that they love Veela being herself more - faults and all.
