Indira Ellis’s sound is a splash of instant rejuvenation. As lines are drawn between glossy pop perfection and gritted underground rock revival, Indira’s path weaves the two factions together, as distortion reigns in the climaxes and emotion drives the themes and vocal performances. Her new single, ‘Painkiller’, is a striking alt-pop dose of headrush romanticism, pushing back a shadow of stormy feelings.
Subtle initial sparkles of light are built on glassy soundscapes, letting the reflections bounce around and set the backdrop. Indira’s vocal arrival marks the ignition for a different kind of drive, first pulling a firm and consistent drum groove, then a distorted guitar line.
As she bridges towards each chorus, fans’ thirst for soaring vocal talents is quenched, leaving plenty of room for the subsequent fusion of bite, sting and embrace. Reaching the peak of the mountain, any sense of doubt in the cathartic cinema Indira presents is behind you.
Lyrically, ‘Painkiller’ indulges in a potent but deceptively sweet tone. Diving deeper into the cocktail, a tangled meditation on excess, love and escapism. Through this, our lead moves effortlessly between smoky and understated to bold and emotive. The evocative nature is poised on the surface and vulnerable beneath it all, riding the wave of a swelling melodrama
Raised on classical training and musical theatre, Indira Ellis knows how to bring sharp narratives and clever arrangements, but also harnesses a healthy amount of theatrical sensibility. Since her debut, she’s quietly carved a space in an emerging alt-pop landscape, embracing New York City’s characteristic energy, restless, romantic and self-searching. It’s early days, but Ellis is quickly proving she has the range, the pen, and the presence to go the distance.