Currently writing and recording her debut album at home, Libya-born Dublin singer-songwriter, pianist and BIMM graduate Farah Elle’s decision to drip-fed her ever-growing fanbase a series of previews over the last few months has certainly worked in her favour. Blending a slick melange of hip-hop and R&B influences – with the odd rumble of ska thrown in for good measure – she has carved out a sound that is defined both by her Arabic-influenced vocals and a knack for creating songs that feel perfectly laidback without sidestepping the emotive urgency that underpins it all.
Having marked her arrival with ‘Silk’ last year – a simmering, full-band ear-wormer of a single that instantly calls for a repeat listen – Elle’s live repute is not to be sniffed at either: having just appeared as part of the prestigious Other Voices Music Trail in Dingle, we expect her name to crop up in all the right places come the tail-end of the year and right into 2017. Keep an eye and two ears out for that debut album; we certainly will be. Brian Coney
Photo by Pedro Giaquinto
