If you’re from Los Angeles, you know that the Silver Lake/Highland Park singer-songwriter scene is a stomping ground for quirky artists and creatives. If you aren’t familiar with this scene, I am pleased to introduce Highland Park artist, Xelli Island. Lianna Vanicelli, a Detroit native, relocated to LA with her former bandmates over three years ago. When their band split after a year and a half, she was forced to decide whether to play it safe and join another band, or take a risk and pursue a solo project. She chose the latter, and Xelli Island was born. The bubbly indie-pop artist flourishes in her six-song debut EP Meet Me At The Waterfall.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Xelli Island translated to X Æ A-Xii in an alternate universe because she very well could be related to the fellow indie-pop singer, Grimes. Her experimental left-of-center pop production exquisitely blends the sounds of dark-wave and sugar-pop to solidify her stamp of approval in today’s indie-pop scene. The project begins with ‘Bad For You,’ a low-key banger that personally led me to discover Xelli Island. The track’s irresistibly catchy hook commands the listeners' attention and suitably prepares listeners for the songs to follow. The addictive hooks continue in ‘When You Go, You’re Gone,’ equipped with a staggered, glitchy kick drum that accompanies her vulnerable inflections throughout the track to metamorphose into a lullaby by the end.
Xelli continues to serenade listeners in the bi-lingual track ‘I Know I’m Only Dreaming (Nag-iisa),’ opening with a beautifully haunting whisper as the song's first verse. The whisper emerges into an emotional ballad then transforms again into a sentimental monologue to the person she sees every night in her dreams. She utilizes her voice as the focal instrument throughout the track, allowing even those who don’t know Tagalog to understand the raw emotion that pours out of her and into her music. If I were to name any track as an interlude of the EP, it would be this, and it’s also my personal favorite from the project. The projects end with the self-love anthem ‘Solitary Creature’ which commemorates the project, as she exclaims “I’d rather remain a solitary creature, I’d rather be alone than wear us to the bone.” Goosebumps.
We are ecstatic to see what reality the Xelli Island project takes us to next. Lianna told us that she isn’t one to withhold her gifts from listeners for years on end, so be on the lookout for new tracks in the new year. Check out the official music video for ‘Bad For You’ below as well.
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