Eli Dan single review by Vince Leigh
Eli Dan’s debut single, Treading Water, was a finalist in the 2019 International Song Competition. The Australian music artist followed that up with Just Another Love Song, which attracted healthy media attention, including adds on ABC National Stingray, In Store Playlist Coles Radio, In Store DAB and KIIS – Feature.
Eli Dan harnesses the pop sensibilities and considerable vocal power of Elisha Apurado (Eli) and the folk-based roots style of musician Danny Hacket (Dan). Together, Eli Dan transforms into an artistic union, exploring a genre that’s a blend of Sara Bareilles, John Mayer, LAUV, and Vera Blue.
Still Frames, Eli Dan’s new release, is a musical portrait of self-discovery and self-reflection, and perhaps most significantly of all, self-assessment.
Eli Dan in Eli’s words
As Eli says about the new single:
“Although it was written during a time of grieving, it is a song that celebrates the memories of the ones we have lost. The song looks back on the moments that may have once been taken for granted and honours the blessings that came about from having such amazing people go before us and shape us into who we are today.”
The lyric is one part melancholic meditation, and one part confessional, with the chorus lines examining this dual sense in a clear and digestible way:
As I close my eyes
I see still frames of you in my mind
the music takes me back
to a much simpler time
you were there but you couldn’t see
that because of you
I found me
Still Frames adopts a ballad-like approach, though it eventually builds into a thicker, more expansive sound, with surprise elements, including handclap rhythms, string textures, and perhaps more unsurprising kinds, such as lush, layered vocals.
Co-written with Danny Hacket and arranged, produced, mixed, and mastered by Elisha Apurado, Still Frames will undoubtedly attract plenty of playlist attention and more radio love for Eli Dan.
