TRACK REVIEW: INBAL - Hail in Madrid

TRACK REVIEW:

INBAL

Hail in Madrid

9.3/10

The track, Hail in Madrid, is available via:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkaxdXvHuA

GENRE:

Electronic

ORIGIN:

Tel Aviv, Israel

RELEASE DATE:

12th July, 2018

_________

WHEN considering INBAL…

and her music; I am compelled to look at various things and understand how everything comes together. I will talk about Hail in Madrid soon but, right now, I wanted to study atmosphere and mood in songs; strong visuals and videos that stand in the mind. I will then look at artists who are hard to categorise and sounds that have a unique melodic flair; themes that are creeping into songs and being investigated more by musicians; a quick peek at music that can settle you and make you think at the same time. INBAL has based herself in a studio and been working on an E.P. The multi-linguist from Tel Aviv has been busy and working on some great material. Following from previous singles, Right Mistakes and Almost Twenty, she has been described as an artist to watch and someone who stands aside from the crowd. I listen to INBAL’s music and there is so much working away. It is not your average Pop or Alternative song and, each time you listen to the music, you take something new away. It is important to infuse a sense of mood and emotion into everything you do. One of the reasons INBAL has gained praise is because of the sense of beauty and passion entwined in every note. You can tell how much energy and thought goes into line and expression. She is a songwriter who is not aiming for the charts and anything that could gain quick streaming figures and popularity. Rather than compromise integrity and go for an easy option; INBAL makes sure the listener is immersed in a world of magic and mystery. I listen to her work, like Hail in Madrid, and you get that unique expression and fantastic sound. INBAL pitches the mood between dreamy and real; a clash of states that will have a different effect on different listeners. It is a real trip, in a good way, seeing what she produces and how it all comes together.

You may say creating atmosphere and mood is not that important: if there is a hook or big chorus then that is okay. I think there is a lot more pleasure and emotional impact when you find a song that has so much working away and a fantastic soul. It is brilliant diving into a brilliant track that takes your head and heart in different directions. INBAL is an artist who considers how the song(s) will strike the memory and imagination. I listen to her work and it is the sort that rewards repeated listens and study. There are not many artists in the mainstream that take care when it comes to nuance and real depth. I have been searching for artists that go out of their way to provide intriguing songs and break from the herd. INBAL is among the artists right now doing something amazing. Critics and journalists have backed her work and celebrated its majesty. It is hard writing a song that has a unique purpose and sound and then following that up with something equally special and stirring. INBAL is someone who can show consistency and not let her standard drop. I am amazed how she manages to provide such engaging and thought-provoking every time and not seem familiar. By that, each of her singles has their own skin and colours. Alongside this mood and emotion, you get plenty of drive and physicality. It is not all about playing it calm and taking the lights down. When you listen to Hail in Madrid; your mind starts to conspire and you get all these different scenes forming. You can watch the music video but I have switched that off at times and cast my own interpretations. Connecting video and audio is something a lot of artists struggle with. It can be difficult, on a budget, creating something complete and memorable. INBAL has accompanied her latest track with a great promotional film.

Many say music videos are dying and not as important as they once were. Maybe we have passed the glory of MTV and when music videos ruled the land but they are still important. I feel videos can add new dimensions to songs and it can bring something new and unexpected. I am one of those people who loves to see a great video and see whether it connects with the original song. If the artist gets it right; you can take something away you hadn’t expected and it is a great thing. INBAL ensures her videos capitalise on the potency and grace of her music and matches that with astonishing visuals. There are few fireworks and big scenes but you feel, when watching one of her videos, you are connecting with an artist who wants to remain in music for a very long time. She expends so much attention and work; taking care to ensure the maximum amount of emotional engagement and effect is produced. Music can be quite a soulless place where we listen idly and never really question its origins. Disposability is coming in more and more and I fear we are losing sight of music’s origins and purpose. Given the digital age, more of us are abandoning physicality and stuff like music videos. I want to return to the days when we were interested in music videos and actually questioned how the music came together and feel something pure – stopping in our tracks and letting the sounds sink in. Today, we are so quick to dismiss and can whiz past a song without giving it a moment’s notice. INBAL realises there is a problem in the modern age and we are all becoming less involved in music. Rather than pander to that and go for something cheap and simple; she aims at those who have longer attention spans and prefer their music more compelling and detailed. That reflects in the music videos.

It has been many years since we saw any classic music videos – maybe Childish Gambino’s This Is America ranks alongside the very best out there. Hail in Madrid is about the fine line between dreams and being awake; our perceptions of surreal events that happen in dreams and the illusion of being awake whilst we are actually asleep. She puts so many different emotions into the lyrics and takes care to craft songs that are meaningful and stunning. The videos are given the same amount of care and attention. You can listen to a song of hers and get your own visions but, when looking at the videos that accompany them, everything slots together and seems perfect. It might be risky taking that time to really produce great music and not following what so many others do. Maybe INBAL will not get the same hits and streams as the big Popstars but she appeals to those who are gripped by music’s substance and core. You can watch a video from INBAL or listen to a song and strip it away and take it apart. You wonder how it was all put together and how quickly it all formed. I shall move onto another subject but I have not really covered Israel and Tel Aviv. I have featured artists from this part of the world before and always find something different. You get a distinct British and American sound and way of working. If you look at music coming from Tel Aviv; there is something incredible and strange coming through. Many of us do not listen to music from Israel and consider the nation’s potential. I am a fan of the county and feel Tel Aviv especially is a fantastic place to discover fresh sounds. The city is a paradise for those who want to be inspired and find new impetus for songwriting.

The beautiful scenery and history feed into the blood and the people are friendly and wise. You have different cultures and religions alongside one another; beautiful vistas and great music venues. There is no one set ‘sound’ in Tel Aviv: one experiences a spectrum and so many different ideas and movements. INBAL has her own sonic flair and she seems to borrow from the heartbeat and lungs of Tel Aviv. Her upcoming E.P. was produced and mixed between Brazil, Helsinki; London, Tel Aviv and Seoul – and the U.S. I am a new follower of INBAL and what she does and can see her evolution and rise. There is nothing to say she cannot ascend to the big leagues in time and rank alongside the modern best. I have mentioned her visuals and music and how there seems to be this close relationship. INBAL’s unique style and melodic sensibilities are among the reasons why the music settles in the brain and endures. Rather than produce Pop bangers or compositions that are soulless; you can hear a distinct INBAL sound and note a musician that takes care to ensure each song is as striking and stirring as possible. I am looking at musicians now and there seems to be a general break away from songs of love and relationships and something more original. There are still those who focus on the ordinary and familiar but I love artists who step aside and write something that is a bit more unexpected. INBAL’s latest track looks at that blur between dreaming and being awake; not quite knowing whether you are experiencing something real or it is part of a dream. It may not sound like the most obvious thing to write about but dream-like states and our consciousness is coming more into music. Maybe it is a rebellion against commercial subjects but many of us want to find artists who document the new and sensational. Many of us, too, experience these moments where we are in a dream or cannot distinguish between reality and the surreal.

Every time a songwriter comes out with something that challenges the mind and takes you somewhere special; I often wonder how they will follow it up and keep away from rather stale and basic themes. INBAL would have experienced heartache and disappointment but, if she writes about it, she will not employ basic lyrics and copy everyone else. That lyrical intelligence and imagination is already set so it makes me urge INBAL to have a look at past heartache and mine that for gold. That sounds rather exploitative and cruel but I would love to see how she tackles this side of life and what the video will look like. More and more artists are moving away from love and investigating the human mind. The state of our being and the conscious vs. the unconscious is coming into music more. Maybe it is a recent development but I am pleased to see a more mature and interesting sensation come into the fold. I will move on to look at Hail in Madrid but, right now, I wanted to look at songs and artists who can calm the bones and keep you safe. One other reason why I love INBAL and her work is (that you) can dive into the music and escape. There is so much working away and you always feel comforted and engaged. I can listen to one of her songs and get carried away on a wave but, at the same time, think about my own life. I can see big things come for INBAL and I feel she will enjoy a long career. If you are not familiar with her work and why she is so lauded; make sure you take some time away and dive in. Many of us have stressful lives and tough times and, whilst it is good listening to music with energy and verve; I am always drawn to something a little more tender, alluring and dream-like. I can listen to an INBAL song and everything sort of melts away.

Maybe I have spoken a lot about aspects of INBAL’s music and how it comes together but, right now, it is worth looking at the song in question. I have seen a lot of press around Hail in Madrid and other people giving their impressions. It is always strange seeing how others view a song and whether they get the same things out of it as you. Rather than let them guide your own interpretation; I use critics are a general guide and somewhere to start. INBAL makes sure everyone gets something from her music. There is an odd mixture of calm and chatter in the opening moments of the song. You get acoustic guitar and a gentle strum but there is childish conversation and chat that fuses with that sound. The heroine comes to the front and talks about some sort of cosmic force and dream-like feeling. She can feel the rhythm and sensation of someone’s feet near her. At the start, you are not sure whether she is talking about a dream itself or that odd feeling when you are half-awake and not sure whether everything is real. The composition adds a nice feeling of confusion and dreaminess that affects how you view the song. I was caught by the immediacy of Hail in Madrid and how it made me feel. Once settled and pure; it starts to provoke feelings and interpretations. I was looking at that feeling of just waking up and having some of your dreams there. By that, I mean you think of something vivid and fantastic and it sort of remains once you wake up. Maybe the heroine is feeling connected with a lover or pining for something and that manifests itself in the form of a dream. She is struggling to draw a line between the dreaming and awakened state. I guess the subject of her thoughts might be fictional but I think there are unresolved issues and feelings that are working their way into her dreams.

There are those who feel there is no meaning in dreams and symbolism does not mean anything either. You can ascribe a meaning to dreams but, in reality, dreams is the unconscious mind working through problems it could not solve in the day; a random collection of thoughts and ideas that have no deeper significance. INBAL is talking more about consciousness and being wrong or right; she wants to be home for the night and I wonder, as I hear the words, whether we are witnessing a dream or something real. The distinct accent of the subject brings gravitas and new emotions to the song. Rather than feel disconnected and uninvolved with the song; you get right to the barrow and walk alongside the heroine. The music and lyrics have their own mindset but they connect wonderfully. In the background, you have that child-like chat and echo; you get ethereal notes and a soundscape that seems to separate the body and mind. The vocal is quite calm and restrained but holds plenty of weight and potential. The lyrics are never clear so you can definitely assert where they were born and what drives them. INBAL lets the listener come to their own conclusion and go in whatever direction they feel matters most to them. I have provided my feelings but, in truth, there is so much working away. One gets impressions of a deadly smile and lies; a strange explosion in silence and the heroine falling back again. Maybe she is trusting someone who cannot be trusted and looking for solid ground. Given the fact Hail in Madrid looks at the conscious and dreams; I keep wondering whether the entire piece is part of a night-time fantasy. It is interesting piecing things together and coming to your own conclusion. One of the reasons I wanted to investigate the song is because of all the colour and emotions working away.

The backdrop is not merely there to score the track and provide little impetus. The score is as integral and meaningful as anything in the forefront. INBAL weaves something beautiful and emotive together that, before long, makes its way to the front and get into the heart. The song stops and changes direction; there are odd little moments and evocative revelations too. This is not a song that keeps a steady course and has a predictable path. You get twists and turns and a real sense of the unexpected. INBAL has put so much effort into the track and that workrate really shows. Twinkling notes and galloping notes spar one another and you get that unexpected clash. By the end of the track, I was still taking it all in and figuring it out. My first impression was one of a dream that is bleeding into waking life; a feeling of loss and struggle that is hard to vanquish. Maybe the real situation and story are different but that is the thing: every listener will come to their own conclusions and witness something unique. With lush production and a commanding vocal; Hail in Madrid is a stunning offering from INBAL. Perhaps those who prefer their music primal and emphatic might take a while to get behind it but they will be broken and seduced soon enough. I keep coming back to the track and witnessing something fresh each time around. Hail in Madrid is a colourful and challenging song that will make you feel better but get you thinking at the same time. Not many artists can do that and, when you discover them, you need to put them out into the world. Make sure you put Hail in Madrid out there and spread the word. I am always stunned by artists who can create something unexpected that goes against the grain. INBAL is someone who will enjoy a long future and, on the strength of her current single, will provide a sensational E.P. Ensure you watch the music video for Hail in Madrid and watch all the stunning visuals come together. It is a great experience and beautiful video that does justice to a fantastic song.

With each new release, you can feel something new come through. I am a fresh follower but can already track changes and developments emerging. Critics have celebrated her work and noted her as one of the best new artists around. I would back that hypothesis and am excited to see where she goes from here. The approaching E.P. is a chance to see INBAL’s existing songs and new offerings mix alongside one another. I am one of those people who loves the E.P. and album and is not just interested in singles. Music should be savoured and enjoyed: those who quickly skip and pass by songs are missing out on so much. I do not think music will advance and progress if we ignore it or give it very little time. If you take an INBAL song as an example and what you get from it. Listen to Hail in Madrid and you will not want to simply have it on in the background and let it pass you by. You will want to put the volume up and make sure every note of the song gets into the mind. I am excited to see what we will get from her E.P. and where she heads from here. Those who have praised her work and highlighted her merits are looking forward and will surely be all over it. INBAL is someone who can make us interested in full works and taking a bit more time out. You cannot simply let one of her songs flow past and ease away. Let’s consider where she will head next and what her future holds. There will be gigs and developments but I feel there is a chance for a long career and real influence. The amazing songwriter has already crafted some wonderful singles but shows no signs of slowing. I would love to see her tour and take her music around the world. I know she has plans to play in Berlin and London and you need to check her social media channels for all developments.

I will end things soon but I want people to follow a modern artist who seems to take music back to its ideal start. We have someone who takes care to produce properly arresting songs and moments that will stay in the memory. INBAL takes care when it comes to visuals and how a music video makes you feel. Her live show is not something I have witnessed but I am sure it matches the brilliance and beauty of her music. You cannot escape the passion and purity that comes from every note. If you need a lift or want to think and reflect; there is so much in INBAL’s locker you can take away and enjoy. Make sure you do catch her live and see the artist up-close. I have talked a lot about her sound and various highs but I have not really discussed where she will head and how her career will work out. I feel there will be albums and more E.P.s arriving from her. It is always hard to predict longevity and which artists will stay in the consciousness. I know which artists will fade quickly and those who will be around for a bit. You cannot say INBAL will have a short career. Just listen to what she is putting out into the world and you get an artist who knows what it takes to succeed and what the people want. Hail in Madrid is another fine offering from a young talent who should be in your regular rotation. I will follow her career and see where she goes from here. I know there will be a lot more releases and maybe that sound will expand out. Right now, we have someone who can get the heart skipping and make the mind wander and imagine. I feel there is a chance for INBAL to push the envelope and kick the energy up. That would not mean compromising her sound or going in a Pop direction. What I mean is she has that passion underneath and I can see her tackling big and emphatic themes. Maybe she has the future worked out and I shall not dictate too much. I am excited to see her produce such strong material and go to new plains. Make sure you listen to her latest track and what it is all about. Her E.P. is not too far away and I suggest you get behind that too. Here is an artist who will go all the way and has many more years ahead of her. Hail in Madrid is a fantastic cut from an artist who does thing her own way and stands out as a star of the future. I have been listening to the song a lot and taking new things away each time I hear it. That is a hard feat and achievement at a time when we are still going for songs that are rather aimless and hollow. This will all change in time and artists like INBAL are fighting against easy instinct. If you have not discovered her brilliant work then get behind Hail in Madrid and fall in love with a brilliant…