Estella Dawn, Spooky Review

Estella Dawn is a twenty-three-year-old vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter based in Colorado. The New Zealand born (Kiwi) musician, writes and records her vocals and piano and co-produces all aspects of her music. Her songwriting is based on well-crafted lyrics and melodies with multiple layers of instrumental and vocal parts. Her style is subtle and soothing when needed and sharp and gritty when desired. Although firmly planted in the pop genre, she mixes modern and classic elements of that style to create her unique sound. Her recognition as a young and talented singer/songwriter led to opening spots for established artists such as Adam McGrath, Andrew White, Titanium, and performances before crowds of 10k+ at the Bowl of Brooklands. Dawn released her debut EP Dancing Girls at the beginning of 2018 to much success. Now in 2020, Dawn has been releasing a single every six weeks to consistently build an enthusiastic following. The songs are constant in their originality and diversity of styles. From the Neo-Soul vibes of “Cadmium Yellow” (released in January), the “burn the town down” dynamics of “Hallow” to the attitude heavy anthemic rock of “I Dare You” (released June 4th). “Spooky” is Dawn’s seventh single of 2020.

Positives: Dawn is a talented songwriter and vocalist that is comfortable in a wide range of styles and settings.

Bottom Line: “Spooky” combines a steady pop groove with sensual vocals built around layers of vocal harmonies. Dawn describes the song as, “Have you ever woken from a nightmare about an old and dysfunctional relationship and it feels like your ex is in the room, haunting you? Being controlled and smothered is never a good feeling, but then you realize that you could also be a part of the problem in your relationships!” Dawn creates the atmosphere through a form that has a variety of feels and harmonic settings. Her singing is emotive as she draws us into her storyline. Her vocal chops are evident but never overdone as she embellishes the melody and displays an impressive vocal range. The last chorus especially shows her talents. Dawn is making beautiful sounds in the pop genre. That’s the short of it!