Today I’m writing about an EP that is on a very good path to become one of my favorite releases of the year. The 5 beautiful tracks on IZHAV’s „Saman“ create a world of connection, nature, hope, and honesty that feels like a haven in this sometimes very loud world.

Izabelle Norén tells her stories through these songs with a beautiful confidence while still allowing herself to be vulnerable. Both musically and lyrically the EP is incredibly well crafted building with great dynamics and emotional force. And through it all shines the connection of the artist with herself, nature, and the world - she creates poetry with her beautiful soul and invites us to join her on this journey of self-discovery.

You might already know the opening track „Catch The Sun“ since I wrote about it in my „You Should Really Know These Songs“ column and put it in the song spotlight on my show. In context of the EP it gains even more force as the entry point to the Swedish artists wonderful world of folky melodies, stunning harmonies and floating arrangements that manage to get really big without loosing their lightness. Both the second and the fourth track on the EP are in Swedish. The fascinating thing about this is that even though I don’t understand a word without reading a translation, the vocal performance still moves me and speaks to me beyond words. It really shows the power of music as a universal language. That said, the lyrics of the English songs are amazing. I especially love the imagery used in„Rabbit Hole“ with lines like: „It was goddam cold down the rabbit hole, seven years can tear apart both dreams and bones“.

It’s hard to put in words but there’s something hauntingly beautiful in how IZHAV shows us her world through her music. I could write about every song and run out of words of praise while doing so. But the truth is the best person to tell you this story is the artist herself. So close your eyes, press play and let „Saman“ pull you into IZHAVs mystical world of great music

"Rabbit Hole" has been added to our "Artist Pick" Spotify playlist.

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