Music / Reviews
Review: Shura, Marble Factory
Russian born Londoner Shura (aka Aleksandra Denton) quietly came to attention via the video for her single Touch: a hypnotic post-break-up number set to attractive young people snogging in colourful smoke. It’s more touching than it sounds and has notched up nearly 23 million views on YouTube. The 23-year old has since been listed on the BBC’s Sound of 2015, played a string of impressive festival dates and has been covered and remixed by the likes of Jungle, Warpaint and Mumford and Sons. All pretty impressive for an artist who has so far released a grand total of five songs.
Thankfully, Shura beefs up her set at the Marble Factory with some unreleased tracks, with newbie disco-noir Nothing’s Real a rousing opener, reminiscent of 80s dancefloors. You’d be forgiven for being bored of the seemingly never-ending 80s revival, but Shura blends old-school R&B with warm, crisp production to create a sound that is both nostalgic and futuristic. Bittersweet single 2Shy is all shimmery synths, while Indecision is powered by Madonna-tinged punchy percussion. Touch remains her standout track, oh-so effortlessly cool with its downtempo beat and lovelorn lyrics.
Lyrically, Shura isn’t a poetic pioneer, with lines like “If you get my name wrong I won’t get pissed off/ Cause I wish I was somebody else” on Just Once explicitly simple. Still, there’s an honesty there that captures the awkward fumblings of youth, which obviously resonates with the Marble Factory’s fresh faced crowd. Shura herself appears genuinely open, apologising for not having more songs and offering to trade free vinyl for some filter tips: “We came to Bristol without filter tips!” She’s later hit in the head by a packet thrown on stage.
Some of the production polish is lost in the live setting, but backed by three band mates, Shura powers through her short set with electric energy, her beanie hat soon flying off and her blonde hair whipping around as she juggles between keyboard and guitar. Finishing with White Light, a song about falling in love with an alien, Shura hits hyper speed, frantically attacking her synths as the track rockets to a close. With her debut album due in early 2016, expect big things from this power pop prodigy.
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