Anglo-Arab singer-songwriter Layla Kaylif infuses traditional folk with a contemporary lens on her latest single, “Black Is The Colour.” Recorded at London’s Air Studios with producer Rupert Coulson, Kaylif weaves original lyrics into the classic ballad, utilizing her distinctively poetic voice to chart a haunting progression from blissful devotion to deep sacrifice.

The track’s production stirs in its cohesive balancing of more traditional folk elements with modern, atmospheric touches. Sturdy acoustic guitar, steady rhythms, and a soaring overall resonance build into Kaylif’s moody vocal dreaminess, letting out the classic, smitten opening line: “Black is the color of my true love’s hair.” The ensuing “I love the ground on where he stands” declaration furthers that sense of unconditional devotion. Kaylif’s haunting backing vocals inject thereafter, adding a chilly immersion in the aspiration to “be as one.”

A riveting vocal ascent comes around midpoint, its “never knew I’d fall this deep” admission captivating as acoustic jangling drives into a lovely caressing of strings. The stark shifts from all-out adoration to “go to sleep on a bed of coal” are particularly engrossing, capturing a progression from blissful love to hardships and sacrifice. From the artful lyrical changes to the atmospheric structural escalation, “Black Is The Colour” is a fantastic re-imagining from Layla Kaylif.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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