Atlanta singer Abra, the queen bee of Atlanta’s Awful Records, has a tantalizing way about her—her music is layered and strong, diva vocals on bass-y, electro dance cuts she produces herself—yet in this documentary by Fact, she describes herself as “just this little dweeb who hangs out in their room and watches horror movies… I’m just so dorky and not cool, to me.”
She calls herself the “darkwave duchess,” and she’s incredibly earnest about it all; still young and still a bit new, she seems a bit wide-eyed at her rising renown. Watch her marvel a bit at a pro photo shoot, and the way her music career is now affording her trips to London, where she lived with her missionary parents until she was eight. Through it all, her singles play (in this context, the UK garage affinities of a track like “No Chill” are in even sharper display) and the subdued resonance of her voice is its own justification for her popularity.
Last year, Abra released Rose, an album of late-night dancefloor jams with an emotional, somewhat melancholy feel to them; she likes to hover in the minor keys, even when her own gospel-style background vocals rise around her main melodies. Hearing her speak about her own work is cool: She appreciates what she’s got, but also seems confident enough to know she deserves it.
Here’s the video for “Fruit,” out last month.
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