GEA is Laura Avonius’ stage moniker and serves as a vehicle for the pop/experimental songstress to showcase her talents and establish herself as a rising indie musician hailing from Helsinki. Her music subsequently harkens to the natural terrain of Finland. As a native, she has well traversed the landscape of her homeland. Elements of both light and darkness and harsh and soft are shown within the EP, entitled, Pink. A collaboration between Avonius and multi-talented sound artist, musician and producer Mikko H. Haapoja, Pink nourishes a serene and invitingly lush soundscape that exponentially depicts the Finnish landscape. Following piano led acoustics and electronic beats, Pink also incorporates traditional Finnish folk instruments taken in a more modern context, giving these instruments a new refreshing tilt.
The opener, “Followers,” is an experimental and intuitively drawn track that coheres to surreal textures and ethereal, avant-garde soundscapes. Electronic arrangements buffer lush strings and all this cohesively melds together an insular world that is heartfelt and soulful. With vocal ability that blends raw emotions and dramatic fissures into airy, dramatic music, Avonius’ singing and songwriting skills is filled to capacity with atmospheric tension.
The next song is the title-track, “Pink,” which is a piano led track that is orchestrated to give listeners an authentic and highly atmospheric experience. The minimalistic style of just simple piano acoustics and vocals peppered with bare electronics expansively encompasses the raw emotional power of Avonius’ vocals alone. Avonius’ crystalline singing heavily ties into the vibrancy of the folk sound.
Toward “Alone,” “Wind,” and “Steps Out of Sight”, we see the beat picking up in these piano based tracks. These buoyant and melodious tracks offer flowy, sparse acoustics arranged in a timeless manner.
On “Enemy”, we hear the crashing of waves in the backdrop of the track and later on, an exquisite piano melody that will have a calming effect on listeners. The fragile music filled with vulnerable vocals and sweeping landscapes that can be imagined in the visionary outcome, resounds with a depth that can be attested. There is a sense of mystery to this highly innovative music that mixes quiet treading magical expressions and fantastical elements into its approach. There is definitely an underlying driving force to this EP along with the sound of waves and the shrieking of seagulls moving over the surface.
Pink closes with “Real You and Me”, a track that picks up the pace with a more catchy vibe and a more fun-driven sound. The upbeat cadences and happy-go-lucky, infectious feel reels in jolting guitar riffs to provide for an enjoyable melody that will definitely grow on you.
The geographical climates of Finland can be mapped out in this EP. Avonius has witnessed first hand the dramatic changes within the seasons and the various fluctuations from lightness to darkness of her native land, giving cause for her to create some pretty dynamic music. The simple style that Laura Avonius has harnessed is powerful and elegant. Filled with melodious harmonies, the piano led tracks emphasizes layers of textural details that is simply missing in modern music today. Comparable to Kate Bush, Florence and the Machine, and Bjork, GEA’s Pink EP will drop on April 25th.