Review: "Gloria" - OSKA
- Azalea Withrow
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
OSKA's new release "Gloria" is the first single to drop off her upcoming second album "Refined Believer." It tells the tale of a woman who is experiencing the freedom of leaving a toxic relationship through a musical narrative experience. The first image comes "in the deep forest" where "she was singing 'Gloria.'” Abandoning the constraints of what could have been a melancholy sound based around such an emotional story, the singer instead bursts through the piece joyfully exemplifying coming out on the other side. OSKA's chorus for this song repeats, "everybody's on her case," relaying the interwoven nature of a small-town community where the w lives. Softening out both lyrically and sonically, the song ends on "everybody's singing her name now."
Gentle guitar playing prepares an instrumental open field for OSKA's vocals to frolic forth on. Folksy and warm, OSKA's vocals maneuver from higher to lower register with ease. Adding in smooth rhythmic percussion, the song picks up into the chorus. Musical storytelling works here through the dynamic auditory changes representing different seasons of life. Listeners can hear as Gloria inches closer to her freedom from her abusive relationship as the sound becomes more open. By the end, Gloria's song changes, "Now she's singing hallelujah, hallelujah" followed by an airily sung line of "oh, oh, oh'" interjections that close out the piece.
OSKA, born Maria Burger, is from a small village in lower Austria. She moved from her hometown to Vienna at 18 years old to follow her love of music. Born into a family of singers and musicians, she discovered her voice early on. While in Vienna, she began busking in the streets while she studied pop and jazz as a vocalist. She has performed internationally and supported various artists on tour including Tom Odell, Maggie Rogers, and Coldplay. OSKA released her debut album, “Distant Universe” in 2020, and soon after, signed to Nettwerk. Her anticipated second album, "Refined Believer," will arrive June 20th debuting ten tracks centered around finding hope again in places she didn't expect.
Written By Azalea Withrow
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