Album Review: Violet Orlandi - High Priest Daughter

There are countless ways to get attention for yourself as you start a music career, and for some reason we treat them as though some are more 'honorable' than others. Why do we fall back on the belief that toiling away in dank clubs for years is a more noble way of building a fan base than going on a reality show? Or harnessing the power of social media? It doesn't make any sense when you think about it. All that should ever matter is the music, not the path taken before we hear it. Yet, psychology doesn't allow us to be objective about everything. We are, in ways, controlled by thoughts that are not our own.

Violet Orlandi is a name I had seen pop up on my own YouTube feed. She has garnered a sizeable amount of attention for her covers of classic rock and metal songs, using that platform to showcase her talents, and to get people ready to hear more of who she is as an artist. It's very much a modern story of artist development, but it speaks to something. With so many voices out there, getting attention this way may be harder than any other route. That's intriguing.

"High Priest Daughter" is an album of Violet's own artistic vision. After hearing her voice reflecting classics, we now get to hear her voice as her own. As a singer, she possesses a powerful instrument with echos of Amy Lee, or for me it's Forever Still's Maja Shining. She is able to sing with power and grace, hitting the biggest notes with ease, and showing tenderness during the quiet moments. She sings to the songs with aplomb.

What's most interesting is the tone the record takes; a sinister acoustic sound that uses the space between the ringing strings for her voice to resonate. I love the instrument, I play primarily acoustic, and yet I haven't heard many records that treat it in this fashion. It's hypnotizing during "Devil Walks Backwards" to hear such a jittering pop melody played over an acoustic guitar that has the somber tone befitting the cloud of smoke the titular devil would be walking backward into to escape our gaze.

Many people talk often of wanting artists to do something 'new', as if novelty is a substitute for quality. What Violet is doing on this record may not be entirely new, but it is rather novel, and that catches my attention in a way a more electric record might not. The approach perks my ears, but if the songs were not there, it would not be enough. The songs are absolutely there. Violet proves herself a deft writer at putting together songs that put her voice in the right light. She never pushes the songs to give her room for vocal acrobatics or spotlights, focusing instead on writing melodies that show off her best attributes. It's the sort of nuance a lot of artists never learn.

I also think it's worth applauding Violet for putting out this kind of record, given that it doesn't fit any of the easy avenues for success. These dark acoustic songs don't have a natural outlet in any rock format in the mainstream, which means it's a record made for artistic purposes. It isn't really that often we can say we know that for sure. It takes courage to release something without a natural fit, that an audience might not be ready for.

I first played this record on a gloomy morning, and that is when this music works best. It lives in the thick melancholy when you can't tell if the air is filled with fog or rain. Violet's music is the most vivid shade of gray, that slightly glowing focal point during an old movie. The subtlety and introspection of this album won't be for everyone who considers themselves to be a rocker, but it's a nice gift for those of us who understand. Violet proves a lot on this album, and that's something to be mighty impressed by.