There’s an unconventional charm about “Secret Box”: The debut album from the songstress Tania Mila is anything but predictable, moving across different musical styles and moods over nine songs. Despite the wide variety involved, her performances are consistently enticing and the associated productions are highly experimental and filled with abrupt tonal shifts; among the range of noteworthy songs included, “Bestial Name” caught our attention with its ethereal qualities.
So what to expect from such a multi-faceted album? The opening tune “Immoral Love” acquaints us to Tania’s soft and featherweight vocals, while the rest of the record pairs a reggaeton groove initially, switching with gloomy elements like pianos and strings; meanwhile the titular “Secret Box” struts on a funky pop groove with jaunty and carefree vocals; sharing resemblances to alt-pop acts like Billie Eilish. On the total opposite end would be something like “Wild Flowers Hunting”— exhibiting a haunting mood—complete with distant vocals and snippets of thundering rain.
Those similarities percolate into “Bestial Name” too, as the moody and esoteric disposition takes precedence. Darker piano notes and high strings aside, the vocals here assume a droning and dissonant timbre; soon the backdrop transforms to psychedelic and twisted textures, further donning other uncanny features like eerie wolf howls and choir, concluding on a spell; all projecting a scene of full-moon night and its related supernatural aura.