Alt soul musician Dessireé delves deep into the nuances of being a black woman, moving from raw vulnerability to vivid creativity on her debut EP Tell Me Y, led by a powerful combination of soulful singing, rich soundscapes, and powerful lyric themes that are underpinned by a core message of freedom for black women, Dessireé draws us on a sound journey that is intimate and relatable.
Starting with "Insanity", in which she takes on the role of "Miss Dessy", which comes from the affectionate nickname that the students called from their time as a teacher. A piece of music that was written before she began indulging in her passion for music, the emotional track dates back to the early days of the aspiring act's early music career.
The early highlight "Change Your Ways" gives us an insight into the vocal versatility, while her voice effortlessly hits high notes, which are accompanied by gentle beats and minimal piano, while "Sway" makes it a little more playful with melodic swing and evanescent beats.
On the fourth track, "Unrequited," she assumes another identity, this time as "Housewife Dessy," as she explores unrequited love based on heartbreak and gender roles of bygone eras. Rooted in the 1950s-60s, when the main role of a woman was that of a caretaker and her love was not valued, Dessireé takes us back in time and lets us sink completely into love in the course of history.
The exceedingly groovy offering "Cycles" shows the singer from south London leaning into a hoarse vocal tone that is superimposed on lush, jazzy instrumental tones before the final track, "Redeemed", uses soft pianos and a calm performance that becomes an ascending one Refrain builds up to bring the seven tracks of production to a memorable ending that tightly frames an eclectic mix of rhythms.
With a celebration of femininity, sensuality and sensitivity, Tell Me Y is the culmination of a passionate musical journey that began in 2019 by Talents.
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