SUSAN DARVISHI - 14TH AND 4TH
Iranian-America pop singer/songwriter Susan Darvishi releases her debut album 14th and 4th, an introspective record about her time spent living in New York City and her experiences there shaped her into the person she is today.
Iranian-America pop singer/songwriter Susan Darvishi releases her debut album 14th and 4th, an introspective record about her time spent living in New York City and her experiences there shaped her into the person she is today.
Susan Darvishi creates catchy electro pop tracks that are sure to become many people’s soundtrack for the summer. A light, bright album that tells stories of unrequited love, romance, jealousy, saying goodbye, breaking the girl code and moving away from home, Darvishi describes the album as “a way to document my experiences in New York and describe the growing pains that many young adults face when moving to a city for the first time.”
Full of Taylor Swift vibes, disco beats and reflective love ballads, the album consists of 8 tracks, four of which have been previously released (‘New Salvation’, ‘Fingers Crossed’, ‘Polaroid’ and ‘We Could Never Be’).
Stand out track ‘Him’ is a Latina-tinged bop about breaking the girl code – “the story of a girl whose best friend chooses a guy over her”. Dripping with anger, sass and cool summer vibes, this song is sure to get your hips moving and should be on everybody’s summer party playlist.
‘Dance With You’ is a bona fide love song about falling in love with things you previously didn’t enjoy, simply because they make the one you love smile. A beautiful sentiment expressed through cool guitar and synth, ‘Dance With You’ is a sweet song about love brightening up the world around you.
Previously released single ‘Fingers Crossed’ brings a much more dance-pop twist to the album, full of drums, funky bass and synth, the track shows Darvishi up as an incredibly promising disco pop musician. Her vocals here really shine, showing maturity and strength that could lend themselves to any genre.
Closing the album with the bittersweet ‘Drift Away’, Darvishi sings of her need to occasionally disconnect from the world around her in order to re-centre and re-evaluate, and highlights that, although it can be difficult, it’s important to take a step back sometimes, even from things or people we love, in order to preserve our own peace of mind. Sonically, this is an incredibly strong closing track, with a gentle but dramatic crescendo towards the end of the song, playing with an Imogen Heap-esque vocoder until everything cuts out, leaving Darvishi’s angelic vocals alone with string drone to finish the song with an abrupt end and a very loud silence.
Telling stories that are universally relatable, 14th and 4th is a gorgeous debut that tells an intricate and personal story of one of life’s biggest journeys – moving alone to a brand new city. This album proves Susan Darvishi is one to look out for in the future. With a well-balanced mix of upbeat, disco anthems and gentler more introspective love songs, Darvishi successfully takes on a variety of sounds, styles and themes and blends them into an excellent record.
Jess Distill
★★★★☆