Based in London by way of Sweden and Eritrea, Miryam Solomon combines the power of rhythms and wordplay to build left-field pop songs with a genuine narrative weight. Tracks built from images that remain in the mind’s eye, or the pleasing beats of a striking turn of phrase. Ahead of a forthcoming EP on South London label Albert’s Favourites, Solomon has unveiled a brand new single, ‘Romance’.
Joined by Ben Marc (bass, cello, percussion) and Alina Bzhezhinska (harp), the track sees Miryam Solomon weave a detailed, sparkling style, though its mischievous tones possess an idiosyncratic air that adds a certain ambiguity. “‘Romance’ is a cautionary tale about desire through the veil of something beautiful and whimsical,” Solomon explains of the track’s fabulistic nature. “I had this image of a Roman feast with its decadent abundance; carafes of wine, music, grapes, dance, and I wanted it to feel rich and playfully quaint.”
As the looping rhythms accumulate, the song takes on an almost hypnotic quality. The sense of being drawn into something, a darker space beyond the pretty surfaces. “Behind [the song] is a story about a beauty that is slightly sinister,” Solomon continues. “The word steal sung as an innocent melody that is meant to dance and snake around you.” As though, having lured you in with its richness, the track reveals its true intentions. An admonition for those lulled by fancy window dressing. Even romance has a dark side.
All of the Romans paid for sins,
none of the gold is mine
all of the roads lead to the end,
none of the fruit is ripe for you
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The single is accompanied by a suitably bewitching video with animation by Iman Mahdy, and you can check it out below:
Romance is out now via Albert’s Favourites and you can get it from the Miryam Solomon Bandcamp page.
Artwork Iman Mahdy, photo by Zora Küttner