Bianca Nisha showcases an evolution of her thoughtful folk-pop sound on her new sophomore album Blood&Sugar
Having established herself as a quiet force in modern music with her lovingly crafted and thoughtful self-titled album, Danish artist Bianca Nisha has looked to expand upon the foundations she has laid with the release of its follow up Blood&Sugar, a collection of tracks full of cute sonic intricacies and moving little textural details that continue to showcase the allure and appeal of her distinctive sound and style.
The album opens with its title track, a track that lulls you into the album with a gorgeous array of cello and piano that feels arresting from the moment that it starts. A poignant narrative surrounding themes like liberation, individuality and conflict unfolds in a really unique way as it progresses, immediately capturing your attention and developing into something that feels both stylish and packed full of heart and intrigue.
Previous single ‘Heavy’ follows and represents, fittingly, one of the album’s most hard-edged and heavy moments, melding rock inflected grooves and a feeling of uncertainty with the artist’s distinctive style to make for something that feels atmospheric and increasingly intense as it progresses. It is a great showcase of the ambition and scope showcased on the album and provides something both unexpected and memorable.
The softness and sense of order that is more closely associated with Bianca returns on ‘Tremble My Heart’, a track that utilises gorgeous harmonies and vocal layering to delve into altogether more intimate and stirring territory, with its choruses heartfelt refrain of “tremble my heart” making for one of the album’s litany of powerful moments.
The artist’s latest single ‘River’ follows and immediately gives off the foreboding impression that something larger than life and all-encapsulating is coming, and sooner than later this comes to fruition, with a huge chorus making for a satisfying apex to a track that continues to establish these expansive little worlds that the artist revels in as a writer.
There is a really spacious and vast feel to ‘Eavesdropping’, allowing room for the artist’s stunning instrumental arrangements to be admired and celebrated as it grows into something that feels utterly compelling and catchy while having an avant-garde touch. The artist does a masterful job throughout the album of creating these tracks that largely stick to the fundamental piano, cello and vocals formula of her debut, while just allowing it to explore and take more risks this time, making for these tracks that vary wildly from one another and are packed with wonder and excitement.
There is a really soft and unassuming feel to ‘Frozen Feedom’ with the lyrical allusions to things like kingdoms giving it an almost classical feel on the whole, something that the artist’s distinctive instrumentation lends itself to in a really powerful and absorbing way, making for a feel that really stands out among modern music in a refreshing way. This kind of alluring softness bleeds into ‘Silk Breathing’, a track that initially feels intimate in a similar way before bursting into life in fierce and intense fashion.
Lively and cutting, ‘Cheater’ is another single from the album and one that represents the artist at her most intense, utilising fierce and sharp instrumentation to create a feeling of unease and an atmospheric tension that never relents throughout its duration, offering a stark contrast to some of the more swirling and gentle work that the album is packed full of, once again showcasing just how ambitious and creative the artist is on this collection of tracks.
‘Crystalline’ follows and feels just as nuanced and textures as the kinds of thoughts that its title evokes, serving as a two-minute instrumental that feels both fully formed and more than welcome in the collection of tracks. This leads nicely into ‘Symphony of Silence’, a rewarding track that evolves and grows as it develops and makes for a plethora of engrossing and increasingly rewarding moments as it progresses.
The album closes with ‘Weeping Willow’, a track that once against showcases the majestic and nuanced nature of her sound and style, packed full of moments that feel stirring, cathartic, alluring and packed full of ideas and little moments that keep it feeling engrossing, much like the album itself as a whole. Blood&Sugar feels like a musical evolution from the artist that has managed to widen the scope of her sound and make it feel more ambitious and all-encompassing while never sacrificing its thoughtful allure, or the tenets that made it feel warm and engrossing in the first place, and that makes for a listen that feels both full of ideas and surprises while staying familiar in the process.
