Daniella Benyamin’s latest release is an easy addition to Sweden’s canon of colorful and charismatic modern pop that keeps getting more impressive, powerful, and nuanced by the day.
Hailing from Stockholm, Daniella Benyamin’s debut EP is affectionately named after Swedish pop darlings ABBA. Universally loved and kept in the highest regards for over five decades, it is always going to be a bold call calling an album or a song after Abba, but at the same time, their wholesome and effervescent vibes make their inclusion in any project, even if it stops at the title, a lighthearted challenge. Daniella’s debut EP is a gorgeous display of vocal charisma and pop songwriting sensibilities. Ranging from the delicate to the thunderous, Daniella’s mainstay vocal delivery is present and effortless.
Starting with the title track, Daniella’s inclusion of an unforgettable string arrangement brings to mind both her upbringing in the warmth of the cities in the Middle East, and ABBA glorious and grandiose strings in their own pop anthems. Written for piano and vocals only, the song was written by Daniella in a period of sadness and anger.
“When we started to arrange and produce the songs, I realized how much I needed to write it, in order to move on. For every tangle that was straightened out, I became more and more fearless and convinced I was doing what was right for me.” Says Daniella about coming up with the intimate and touching title song. The song’s anthemic drums and operatic strings make for a memorable musical moment. Following the striking beginning with the melancholic and percussive ‘Out of Fuel’, the catchy strings are substituted by catchy percussion that’s charmingly vintage, maybe another nod to ABBA’s 70s pop hits. The melodic hook is musical and stirring and the song is packed with an airy energy that’s a pleasure to experience. The wonderful production of the entire album is at full swing with ‘Out of Fuel’, carrying the song from its more minimal sections effortlessly to the more energetic and packed ones.
‘Toothpaste Kisses’ is an intimate and warm piece of modern, romantic pop that’s stormy and reassuring. From its dominating bassy synth to its grand percussion and its lush strings in the crescendo, this song is a masterfully arranged stunner that’s loaded with nuance in its music, lyrics, and performances. A delightful and welcome change of pace comes in the form of the manic and driving ‘Grand Hotel’. The song’s infectious energy comes from its machine-precise beat, Daniella’s warm and touching lyrics and deliveries, and from a fulfilling and melodic chorus that’s catchy and quite simply beautiful sounding and beautifully sung. A sudden and invigorating departure from the album’s mostly serene and restrained environments.
Daniella opts to end her debut EP with a one-two of intimate piano ballads that, while similar in concept, could not be further apart in execution, again, highlighting Daniella’s stunning range of songwriting sensibilities. ‘Trying’ is jazzy and brings to the table a particular “diva” energy from Daniella’s impassioned delivery of her heartfelt words. Climaxes are delivered via her increasing dynamics on the piano and in her vocal deliveries, and the effectiveness of her control over those aspects is another display of her talent as a performer. ‘All that’s good’ is the stunning closer of the album. Starting as a restrained but vivid piano and vocals arrangement that’s different in shape and in execution to the previous ‘Trying’, this piece truly opens up in its latter half. Abruptly introducing a shift in harmony with a grandiose chord progression that’s accompanied by a sails-hoisted brass section that crescendos with the fade in of a gigantic sounding drum beat, before returning back to earth just as suddenly as it started soaring, making for one rewarding musical passage that will be hard to forget. A stunning choice for a closing song.
Daniella Benyamin’s Abba is a warm and personal album from a talented songstress who effortlessly showcases her many skills in the span of six beautifully written, recorded, and produced. Shock full of beauty, meaning, and emotion, Daniella’s songwriting is a breath of fresh air and a precious addition to Sweden’s roster of sensational pop artists.