Manuka goes for a raw, soulful style with “Cherry Blossom”.

Manuka - Cherry Blossom

Manuka goes for a raw, soulful style with “Cherry Blossom”. With a laid-back approach the song has hints of the intimacy of Iron & Wine’s early work. The song is kept to the essentials. Melody rings clearly. Rhythms feature a pastoral bliss about it. Vocals have a beauty about them and are mixed right in the front of everything. By far the highlight of the song rests within the power of her delivery. So much fire resides in each verse. Wordplay feels fantastic for she has a careful, poetic take on creating a lovely careful. Everything about it has a restrained, stately presence to it.

Her voice has a gorgeousness to it. Right from the beginning the voice leads the way. From there the rest of the sound has a delicacy to it. The fragility to the work features a delicacy. All of the track has a casual quality about it. Nothing here goes for a polish rather there is an inherent honesty to it. By allowing the song to bloom the piece feels wonderful, with a patient, painterly approach to it. So much color is brought into it for there is a grandeur to it. Never rushing things, the atmosphere proves to be of the essence. Balance matters. Without a single beat a whole groove emerges. Guitar has a deep resonant to it. Everything about it features a cleverness to it, nicely pushing the idea of folk into the present.

“Cherry Blossom” offers a stripped-down folksy style showing off Manuka’s impeccable storytelling.

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