Album Review: Colours

Auckland based songwriter and producer Shana Llorando is electro-pop, RnB musical artist Valere. Recently releasing her luscious debut 13 track original album Colours, full of delightfully fresh and funky tracks, each one flowing harmoniously with warmth and honesty.

There is an electronic sound which snakes it way through each track creating a bright and buoyant tone. A youthful, vibrant vibe reflected in this album matches the colours it represents.

Valere’s songwriting on Colours has been described as “beautifully-written (and frankly, super relatable) subject matter that delves deep into love, heartbreak, longing and yearning.” Personally, I found it to be a touching and emotive journey of lyrical story telling.

The stand out tracks on Colours for me were: The Middle, which has a beautiful use of harmony. It is an uplifting song about letting go of demons and doubts and asks the question “what if we weren’t so scared of love”. Circles is a catchy track with a good beat and a heavy dose of drum machine to back it up. Finally, the slower paced Stick Around, accompanied by piano rather than synth creating a stunning contrast.

Enriched with electro-pop, late 1990s RnB influences Colours is a very well written album. Captured emotion has been turned into a real gem, a charming album delivered with grace. A pleasure to listen to.