In April, we interviewed Little Shadows and spoke about range of things, including his plans to keep making good music. It turns out he’s been doing Little Shadows is back – this time debuting work with his band, Olivia.
The band’s debut single, “Trouble” is aptly titled. Starting off with melancholy chiming keyboard and synth, Little Shadows’ voice comes in, weary and desperate.
“Fly with me I wanna see your wings spread out slow/I wanna see what you move like” what starts off as romantc quickly takes a different, if not darker, turn “when you let me take control / Ropeburn on you wrist you said you like it like that / Tie you up, give you hell, then you give it right back / I said you look like trouble / She said “you don’t know me like that” / You don’t know me like that”.
With the opening lyrics setting the tone and the drums kicking in, Little Shadows continues to sing as he paints a picture of what sounds like a dysfunctional, off and on again relationship.
As the pretty, ominous instrumentals continue, Little Shadows continues to sing about different aspects of a troubled relationship. One of the most vocally talented artists in the underground, the song’s tempo is a change of pace from the singer’s solo work. “Troubled” gives me slight nostalgia, with style and vocals that remind me of the emo band Lydia, however Olivia’s hip-hop seasoned beat and drums help make the song truly their own.
In world where “sad hip-hop” enjoys both mainstream and underground success, Olivia’s “Troubled” is a refreshing and new approach. Having followed Little Shadows solo music for quite sometime, I suspect Olivia’s style won’t stick to one genre or type of sound. Be on the lookout for more and stay up to date with the band’s releases.