ALBUM REVIEW: Forget~Me~Nots – Dikajee

Originally-Russian-based musician DIKAJEE has shown her voice on the stages across the globe with some well-famed names. Her voice, which often pays homage to a multitude of genres from different eras, has captured the attention of other similar-minded musicians such as Fiona Rüggeberg (FAUN), Guillaume Bernard (KLONE) and João Filipe (AMBER FOIL). Now the artist works as a collaborative effort with the aforementioned to showcase the weavings of folk, neo-baroque, neo-classical, progressive rock and more with her new album Forget~Me~Nots.

With all of the musical influences coming together, it’s easily distinguishable that this album is a journey of experimentation and being able to piece the variables together to create something unique. From the off with opening track Forest, DIKAJEE‘s voice is an elegant display of something ethereal, it’s got a delicacy about it that sits subtly under the surrounding instrumentation. That same fragility continues throughout the rest of the album, not much is altered in terms of power, allowing for a level of captivation for the listener to just enjoy a state of still.

Whilst her vocals are of true beauty, there also seems to be a lack of power. Whether it’s the mix of the recording or there being little to no change in her whispering elegance, they feel overpowered when in essence, they need to be front and centre of the show. Tracks such as Misery, with its bold and powerful intro, fall short because of this, and it’s a crying shame because it would make all the difference when the experimental elements of each song come into play. The only real moment where there feels a little like there is an open gate for DIKAJEE to really let her voice push through is on Scriptwriter and the chorus of Glorious, Beautiful, Magical.

Instrumentation wise, there’s a lot going on which results in the album feeling very minimal. There’s strings, synths, glockenspiels, bagpipes, drums, wurtlitzers, you name it, there’s probably some element of it going on in the background creating a pretty indescribable atmosphere. It’s all of these instruments that play a significant part in how progressive rock falls into the sound and style of some of the album, some moments being reminiscent of the earlier, more crazy days that felt like an acid trip.

At some points on the album, the instrumentation works and it holds a certain presence that shows how stunning it can be when you’re moulding together something completely new from older styles. Unfortunately, the feeling of amazement isn’t something that carries throughout the entire album. In some places, the sounds clash and make for moments of not being sure of exactly what’s going on and feeling jarred. Sounding a little out of the ordinary is, of course, an element of all of the styles incorporated on Forget~Me~Nots, but there is also a constant risk of whether it plays off well or not, and sadly, in this case, it doesn’t always do that.

Full of beauty, Forget~Me~Nots does show why DIKAJEE is such a cherished artist, and why she has gained success by stepping out of her comforts, but it doesn’t do her the justice she deserves. When you’re given something that has all of the right things, but isn’t entirely pieced together in the right manner, it becomes frustrating knowing that a potential hasn’t been reached. Whilst Forget~Me~Nots might not be an album that holds a great deal of strength, it should not go unnoticed that this is a genuinely haunting and beautiful album, it just needs a little more power and refining.

Rating: 6/10

Forget~Me~Nots is out now via self-release.

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