When most people think of Madonna, they think of bawdy pop hits sung a relatively high-pitched, Betty Boop giggle. Most other people think of her “Music” album–an updated, techno/disco version of her initial “Like a Virgin” persona.
Me, I think of “Bedtime Stories.” She sang in a lower register for that album, and even used acoustic guitar on the first single, “Secret.” Overall, the record was electronic, but it focused a lot more on the songwriting where her previous material focused more on hookwriting. It was her sixth album, and although it didn’t sell crazy the way her earlier ones did, it eventually went triple platinum. It’s my favorite Madge record because it’s so warm and intimate, which I find a lot sexier than her sluttier stuff or her albums geared for cokeheads and xstasy parties.
Elika reminds me of my favorite Madonna.
No, she doesn’t have the bounce, but her voice is in the same register and at times almost sounds identical. The music is electronic, but it’s moody and introspective. It has moments of shoegaze (“No One Gets Lost”), but those songs don’t deteriorate into mystical, emotionless background noise–largely because her singing style is so compelling.
The press material calls this a “concept album,” but I think it can also stand alone as a very good, moody record.
I dig it, anyway.
Stream it below, and cop a freemp3 of No One Gets Lost.
Tags: Shoegaze
What a strange year we’ve had. Don’t like Killers? Go see Knight and Day! Don’t like The A-Team? Go see The Losers! And now, don’t like Liz Phair? Check out Elika!
It’s hard–no, nearly impossible–to judge a band based on three songs, but that’s what 
Can you think of a better name for a shoegaze band than 
Edinburgh, Scotland’s 
Florida duo 
