ZEBRAH – STRIPES – EP REVIEW & ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Zebrah is the brainchild of two French musicians, Pauline Janier and Kevin Siou, whom met in 2017 while studying music at BIMM, London. The two have been making music since 2018 releasing three incredible singles, “Indigo”, “Dimension” and “Beauty”. On the way they acquired drummer Chris Gyftakis and bassist James Bannister to round out their outstanding adventurous sound.

The band recently dropped their debut EP entitled Stripes. Zebrah‘s sound is a beautiful mesh of indie and eclectic influences. They easily blend distinct musical genres to create something totally unique and utterly fresh. Zebrah channels their musical prowess to electrify their music in order to keep their audience vigilantly alive. One never knows what is coming next.

The EP was recorded in the summer of 2018 with Finn Lomax who has worked with Jordan Rakel and Arlo Parks on various projects since. Stripes is an alternative record exploring themes of friendship, self-confidence and empowerment.

Stripes opens with the silky “Neptune”. It’s a impressive composition with a middle eastern flair. Pauline’s melodious chants fills the song with a spacey and ethereal aura. The music borders on jazz but Zebrah‘s use of offbeat flavors shapes the tune into something extraordinary. They have a flair for the unconventional. Next up is “Come On”. “Come On” is a bouncy track that is heavily groove laden with funky overtones. Pauline’s vocals are emotive and impressive. Her voice is both quirky and full of spunk. Her short rap is memorable similar to that of Debra Harry’s in “Rapture”. The band’s musicianship is layered with delightful nuances. A really interesting song.

The brazen “Hey Mama” follows. It’s an upbeat tune with an imposing rhythm. The sublime arrangements are heartfelt and Siou offers some stellar guitar licks. Bannister’s bass lays down a smooth funky tempo and Gyftakis’ percussions accent the piece perfectly. The band expounds: ““Hey  Mama” is surely the funkiest song of them all. Inspired by a conversation between Pauline and her mom before going to bed. “Hey Mama” has got this insane, confident groove that would make everyone dance at gigs“.

Stripes ends with two engaging tracks. “Beautiful Lady” with its dreamy soundscape, haunting musical score coupled with the embedded heavenly harmonies transports the listener to this far away mystical nook. The song is plainly divine in many different ways. If you get a chance check out the “Beautiful Lady” Gardener Mix. It adds a whole new tone. “Dimensions (Extended)” is the final cut. The song is full of delicate refinements and again Pauline’s voice is intensely supple. It flows gingerly throughout the tune with a romantic lushness ingrained with yearning and desire. It’s the ideal finish to a positively impeccable debut.

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To learn more about Zebrah, check out their website

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Stream music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Purchase:  Bandcamp 

 

 

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