Vanessa Ondine is an Israeli composer, pianist and singer, currently based in Reykjavik. The colder climate of her new home seems a very good fit, based on the evidence of `Forever`, a chilly and darkly pretty piano ballad. In the prominent high harmonies and dramatic arrangement, there are echoes of Kate Bush, who of course is no stranger herself to the odd gothic ballad.
There is playfulness and a certain amount of quirkiness here too – alongside the rawness of the emotion. Indeed, you should probably expect some quirkiness from a singer who describes her genre as `mermaid` on her Facebook page. This side of Ondine is perhaps a little reminiscent of Joanna Newsome, but there is a singularity of character here that means that any comparisons to other artists are fleeting.
Structurally, the track is really quite bold for a song that is only two and a half minutes in length; Ondine clearly isn’t afraid of writing a memorable melody, and then only using it once. That said, this song is, for the most part, built around an insistent hook that worms its way into your head over the short duration of the track.
Vanessa Ondine is on radio rotation with the tracks “Forever” and “Houses Of Hope”
You can follow Vanessa Ondine on Facebook, Instagram and Soundcloud. You can buy `Forever` over on her Bandcamp page as part of her album of the same name. Her albums “FOREVER” and “Your Void” are available on all major digital download stores. You can also watch her videos on Youtube.
