SERAINA TELLI (ex Burning Whitches) – Simple Talk (2022)
Female fronted hard rock has a new face: SERAINA TELLI. As the former front woman of the Swiss metal band Burning Witches, she shook the stages of major rock for four years. Now the time is ripe for her solo project, named after herself, Seraina Telli, and the upcoming debut album ”Simple Talk”.
The charismatic Swiss singer leaves a lasting impression. Visually and musically. Her music is as colorful and varied as her hair colors, one of her typical distinguishing features. The multi-talent is reluctant to be tied to one style, as her previous musical career shows, and ”Simple Talk” summarizes Seraina influences with a fresh, modern vital approach.
This is a blistering collection of songs exactly delivering what it promises in the tin: simple, straight talking, hard rocking tune. A serious contender for debut album of the year.
Kicking off with ‘Modern Warrior’, Telli sets out her agenda immediately, straight ahead, in your face rock. The song has a great beat and lyric. Should be a good live opener to get everybody in the mood.
As some comparisons might be needed for the wider listening public who are not familiar with Seraina Telli, to my ears, the vocals across the album sound like Halestorm meeting Heart with a dose of Janis Joplin and Patti Smith thrown in for good measure. Seraina has a great voice and knows how to use it.
‘I’m Not Sorry’ intertwines rock music with slight electronic touches to create a fantastic mid-tempo rocker, with Telli not apologising for who she is. ‘Take Care’ has more of an acoustic vibe to begin with, which even if unexpected is by no means disappointing. Telli just exudes confidence in this track, with a slower pace elevating her outstanding vocals even further.
‘I Dare To’ reverts back to the bold, in your face rock sound that we know and love. Telli has a real grit in her voice by the time she reaches the chorus which is just so authentic and natural. She reaches heights vocally throughout this track that should leave you in absolute awe.
‘Remedy’ is up next, providing even more attitude from the get-go. The song’s melody is fantastically infectious, complimenting Telli in the best way possible. It is such a confidence booster to other women, saying that they should get up and go for what they want in life, telling them that “you can be the remedy to this world, you can be the cure” in some absolutely exceptional lyrical content.
‘Soldier Of Fortune’ is another slow burner, with some brilliant guitar work from Telli heard throughout.
‘G.E.B.’ is another track that combines rock melodies and the use of electronic synthesisers perfectly. This type of infusion makes the track much more unique, and ultimately SERAINA TELLI. It has to be said that it isn’t as memorable as other tracks on the album, yet it is still enjoyable due to Telli‘s immaculate use of her higher register – this musician is just so unbelievably talented.
‘Dreamer’ incorporates pop elements into the mix before leaping into her signature sound once again. ‘Not One Of Your Kind’ seems to speak honestly about the modern world of social media and the impact that trolls have on people in the public eye, with Telli seemingly rising above any hate that comes her way.
‘Fever’ is an outstanding remake of the popular song by LITTLE WILLIE JOHN first heard back in 1956, and most notably covered by PEGGY LEE. Telli‘s version is just amazing, adding some much needed oomph and modernity to the iconic song.
‘Remember You’ is an emotional rock ballad which really tugs at your heartstrings in the best way. The final track is ‘Medusa’, which is most certainly the heaviest song on the album. It is exciting to hear Telli reverting back to her metal roots here in one of the best tracks of the entire release.
”Simple Talk” has to be one of the best debut albums of the year. Telli is just sensational in every sense of the word and we genuinely cannot wait to hear more from her – this is a fantastic record and it is very hard to believe that this is her first as a solo artist.
Musical barriers have been well and truly pushed here, providing everything that we would want in a solid rock release; a powerful, extensive voice, a fantastic image and bags of attitude – truly astonishing.
Highly Recommended
01 – Modern Warrior
02 – I’m Not Sorry
03 – Take Care
04 – I Dare To
05 – Remedy
06 – Soldier of Fortune
07 – G.E.B.
08 – Dreamer
09 – Not One of Your Kind
10 – Fever
11 – Remember You
12 – Medusa
Seraina Telli – vocals, guitar
Alice Lane – bass
Rico H. – drums
Pre order:
www.amazon.com/Simple-Talk-Seraina-Telli/dp/B0B92RBLZ5
