SubVersion Stop 175: Delilah - From The Roots Up (Warner Music)

My happiness for Delilah's "From The Roots Up" came through anticipation. In his article "Let The Deer In The City" for Fluid Radio, Fred Nolan explains of the shivers you get out of anticipation, and how it's neurochemistry. Those shivers are present on tenth track, "Love You So", Paloma Stoecker's follow-up to "Go", her Chaka Khan reassembler piece of "Ain't Nobody". But there's certainly a body for her muse, and it's not empty or larger-than-life music. Stoecker manages to carve "beauty in the rain", as on the excellent "Shades Of Grey", much better than the book of similar name could do for sexuality and innocence.

As I write this Paloma (Delilah's real name) is approaching 23 years old, this putting her above Adele in terms of writing a coherent record that touches traditional themes of love; feeling choked by love (see "Breathe" and its' svelt Dubstep unfurling of a foxy rhythm); and insecurity. Delilah speaks of insecurities' enigma in her SoulTV interview - how it's difficult to put trust in yourself. She also says there that she has over 150 tracks written. If they're anywhere near as good as the 12 on "From The Roots Up", they're worthy listening. "Inside My Love" by Minnie Ripperton, still, remains the only cover version in the whole set.

It's a song sung with an ease and originality, like all the songs on "From The Roots Up", and could easily have been her own. "If I had faith in my own voice, I was still getting used to the sound of my voice singing" she says in the selected interview. Ultimately she has a commonality with grasping commonality, and this consequently transcends, producing a dice-rolling effect on the tones of the words, where she decides to vary range. The range of styles is principally rooted in Pop-Soul, Trip-Hop, with meddling of the Drum & Bass and Dubstep tempos. What's certain: this is the beginning of a rooted musical future for the young-star.

Delilah Wikipedia