“Cold Lake” is the fiery new single from Ishana. Swirling with seductive tones and viral beats, Ishana seduces the listener with her lavishly light voice. She’s a vision. Sounding like a siren in the night, Ishana offers an emotional, revealing sonic journey. Sometimes sounding like shimmering in the pale moonlight and other times cast within the shards of sunlight, “Cold Lake” has a mysterious tone that runs through its center. The single is from Ishana’s album Old Skin II.
URL: https://ishanarahim.wixsite.com/ishanamusic
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/IshanaMusic
Ishana, an Indian name meaning ‘prosperous’, hails from Mississauga, Ontario. She was raised and currently resides in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The electronica-pop sound she presents in “Cold Lake” is quite mysterious. As much as she sounds lofty and ethereal, her voice curls around the pulsating beats like calligraphy to a letter. So much of the music bed sounds like light hitting the water, the twinkling of the morning rays. While listening to just the music bedrock, I felt very grounded in the popping, the bubbling. There are slight zig-zags and euphoric waves, but for the most part the music is mostly murky. It’s a nice balance when you consider the angelic tones emitting from Ishana’s voice.
Wasted time, she laments in her lyrics. I think she’s singing about a breakout and feeling like the world is closing in all-around-her. She’s cold from the anxiety and flood gates of sadness. At one point she sings of quicksand and the visual is too gripping. I think it’s a universal feeling to have those moments when you feel your foundation is slipping, when you are not centered or on solid ground. Her voice is so poetic, like a dancing flower swimming underwater. Her voice, like satin, sways in the brooding music bed. Her rhythm and her melody hypnotic. I fell prey to her voice. I found myself humming the song hours after listening. There are times when she doesn’t enunciate the lyrics, but I actually enjoyed these moments. Her voice is so lovely. The electronica slurps up her lyrics, but it’s almost like water finding its next crevice. If you’re a fan of Sade, then you will adore Ishana.
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This song also makes you feel like you’re moving forward. Your direction is looking past, well, your past. I think there’s a confidence that ensues in her harmony. I can’t quite put my finger on how and when it occurs in the song, and maybe it takes more than one listen. She imbues this inner peace and almost sacred inner faith. I think I walked away with this song having this overall calm and air of focus. Shoulders proud, head forward. As weird as this might sound, this is a great song for yoga practice, or an evening relaxation. There is a vibrant beat, so it’s not a total meditative state, but the textures are soft and again, Ishana’s voice is smooth. This song caresses the listener in a wave of emotions, even though it might be some emotional turmoil. Ishana can get you through it with flying colors.
Troy Johnston