Johanna Glaza is a UK-based singer/songwriter who has a voice that is quite unique but if I said a more controlled and less country bumpkin Joanna Newsom then you’d be most of the way there. Her first EP “Silence Is Golden” is a beautiful, ethereal and mysterious delight.
The piano echoes of “Shall I Be A Saint” kick off the EP in perfect style as the cute, simple and elegant melody flows out with lots of reverb and behind the keys production going on. Johanna’s voice is so strikingly matched to the music type that it makes what could be purely beautiful track have a harrowing edge to it. She sounds like she is about cry as her voice cracks and quivers – she has that emotion nailed. “Gravity of Your Face” then turns to a more classical track with childlike backing vocals that evoke a Kate Bush style and a pop like string synth that reminds me of Emmy Rossum’s album where voice met classical. It’s my least favourite on the EP but it’s because it’s quite traditional. “Silence is Golden” is far more artistic with whoops, oohs and hand claps making up a collage of sound for the main melody to play over and it’s a weird and wonderful fairground of voices. It’s playful and gravity bound and to strike that balance between what could be silly but actually sounds ingenious is a difficult one to get as right as Glaza does. “Growing” is a piano instrumental with some backing synths that lead to “Mama Mama” which has a beautiful harp and voice track. It’s so pure and gentile – its like being given a piece of heaven – and Johanna’s vocal range is amazing and very assured.
Johanna Glaza;s “Silence Is Golden” firmly establishes for me that UK talent in the real singer/songwriter arena can be left in good hands – we have a new member of the kooky clan and I’m giving her all my thumbs up!