Love’s Dark Side

And Only the Melody Was Real is the newest EP from Nicole Turley performing under the name Swahili Blonde. For this set of songs, Turley wrote alongside only one other person, creating a very personal and introspective exploration through sound. 

“Alivinya” starts And Only the Melody Was Real with a strong bouncy rhythm. Coupled with the upbeat lyrics about being in engulfed in love gives the illusion of a more positive vibe, but with the off-kilter melodies that make their appearances, there is a suggestion of something darker happening. Possibly, it’s the dangers of being completely consumed by the object of affection, as the line “Close my eyes, and I’m alive in you,” repeats throughout. That darkness carries through into “Dark Dawn” which is enveloped by the off chord that was heard earlier and continues to have a warning of becoming obsessed with love.

From here, though, the album takes a turn and moves to a more hopeful side with songs like “Her Name is Hope” and “On the Other Side” which lose any of the harsher chords and keep things upbeat and sweeter sounding. The focus becomes less about obsessions and more about a kinder type of love. “Saturn Farewell” stands out with its multiple moving parts and having both jazz and Asian influences involved, making it be the most textured songs on the EP. 

And Only the Melody Was Real sets up an interesting dichotomy between its upbeat, bubbly, 80s reminiscent sound and the slightly dark theme that makes itself present. The EP follows a narrative of an obsessive poisonous type of love that is almost all consuming. However, And Only the Melody Was Real manages to pull itself back, brings its focus back on itself, and is able to create something actually positive and results in the fuller, more textured songs found at the end. Swahili Blonde shows skill in this complicated storytelling form.