UK based Latvian artist Nelda showcases the power of collaboration and togetherness on her powerful concept album Between Two Worlds
Across her recent releases, rising London based artist Nelda has been setting the tone for her brand new concept album Between Two Worlds, a powerful exploration of voluntary displacement that has seen the artist collaborate with a range of artists with roots all over the world to tell their stories and explore the themes that have been discovered.
The first track, ‘Everything is Scary’ sees the Latvian artist teaming up with Viola Ugolini from Italy, and perfectly sets the tone for the journey that is set to come, laying out some of the trepidation and anxieties that come with leaving your home and starting fresh somewhere else. The thoughtful allure of the artist’s sound and thoughtful songwriting are conveyed gorgeously here, and it makes for a compelling introduction to the album and themes.
‘Inbetween Two Worlds’ follows, the latest single from Nelda and a track that sees the artist continuing to delve into this adjustment, feeling torn and not quite a part of either of the worlds that you have lived in. There is a really jazzy and off-kilter charm to the instrumentation and structure here that feels exciting and slightly disjointed, mirroring the feeling of voluntary displacement and its unsettling nature.
The next track sees the artist team up with Brazilian artist Thiago De Sá Jorge, and sees the artist searching for a sense of belonging in their new home and getting acclimatised to her new surroundings within the narrative. There is a really thoughtful and laid-back feel to the instrumentation here that invokes a sense of calm that has been missing thus far.
Bangladeshi artist Hasib Sunny collaborates on ‘Heartbreak’, a gorgeously constructed piano-led track built around the idea of starting anew and having to severing ties with your old life, further cementing the reality and stark contrast that comes with having to uproot yourself and begin again.
Tracks like ‘Aren’t We All?’ (written with Slovakian artist h Katarina Kiktova) and ‘Wishing I Was Home’ (written with Greek artist Adrianos Pandis) continue to delve into these struggles, the desperate search for somewhere to call your own, to find something to resonate with and grip onto, and the memories and longing for being back home. These tracks continue to flesh out this world of unfamiliarity and adjustment and make for truly compelling listening.
Co-written with Australian songwriter Etoile Marley, ‘Home is Where I Go’ feels like something of a breakthrough on the album, an acceptance that your home and where you belong can be wherever you choose, wherever you decide that is your home and you choose to build your life. The gorgeous arrangement of the instrumentation here and the compelling and emotional nature of the vocals makes for one of the most memorable statements on the album.
‘On These Streets’ (written with Argentine artist Gabriel Vigo) and ‘I Wouldn’t Be Me’ (written with Ukrainian Christina Dmytryk Clark) continue our narrative, finding peace following such a trying period of change and upheaval and managing to achieve a sense of growth and strength as a result. It truly feels like we have turned a corner following the initial hardship at this point, and the more blissful tones of the instrumentation echoes this with a resonating effect.
Cypriot artist Soner Ersen teams up with Nelda for the compelling and powerful guitar-driven track ‘Not a Stranger’, a really uplifting and resonating anthem of a track that celebrates togetherness and the resounding strength that unity and collaboration can provide us with, something that the album has proven time and time again through the quality and range that it has blessed us with.
‘Shadow of the Rest’ affords Nelda with a change to reflect on her second solo release of the album, and it provides a really empowering and emboldened look at how much the artist has grown and developed as a person and artist thanks to moving to London and embracing this whole new life and journey, and it serves as a really rousing moment towards the end of the album.
The album closes out with the rousing ‘No Place Like Home’, a track conceived with Nigerian artist Tunday Akintan and one that feels as diverse and exciting as anything on here thanks to its slick melding of styles and the distinctive flavour of the instrumentation. The track feels like it symbolises exactly what Between Two Worlds is about, while telling the story of moving away and starting new, the real strength of the album lies in the range of cultures and different styles that have been afforded to it thanks to these artists from around the world coming together and offering unique ideas and styles. At a time where the UK sadly feels more divided and hateful than ever, this album serves as a reminder of what we can do when we band together, when we lean on each other and find the best of all of the worlds that we come from. Between Two Worlds is a celebration of differences, of our passions, our friendships, and how we can all overcome insurmountable odds if we look to build each other up rather than tear us down.
