Elvie

Individuality at Its Best
Songs stemming from originally written poems is not out of the ordinary for most songwriters or lyricists. But what’s unique about Elvie, otherwise known as Brittany Cardosa, is how her lyrics are structured.
“It was almost as if my past self was having a conversation with my present self on several of the songs. The writing process often felt equivalent to a collage of sorts; I was taking new scraps of my life and pasting them on top of old ones”.
Sharing her musical endeavors with the rest of the world at the Epicentre in San Diego, along side Goodnight Caulfield, Little Man-T, The Howls and Autumn Film on Saturday, March 29, Elvie used her instant connection with the blending instrumentals of Marc Hubbard to perform songs off her freshman album ‘Deviant Darlings’. While Hubbard’s instrumentals can be compared to those of Bjork and Beck, an emphasis on what “type” of music Elvie falls into can be hard to find. Both the music she sings to and her voice can be considered a sort of eccentric indie rock.
But who needs to label anything? No matter what music genre Elvie may or may not fall into, her dedication for what music is meant to be is well heard.
“I feel that in recent years the music industry has become saturated with a lot of artists who peddle empty sentiments in place of the real thing. Too many artists are afraid of taking risks and doing things different. I think it’s important to emphasize your individuality, not shun it”.
Writing since the age of 9, this solo artist has a lyrical way of putting things into perspective. The first song she politely sang at her show, “Debonair” referred to “a guy that I used to know who paraded around like a peacock only to obscure the fact that he was wallowing in his own insecurities”.
“You think you’re so debonair
With your neatly tufted hair
Now you’re standing out in the rain
Egos don’t enjoy soggy terrain”
The lyrics to the song “Sweetie” are anything but…
“I can no longer find solace in you
I won’t play the part of your glamorized ashtray
Silence has never been so utterly sickening
I talked to myself today
She said things are going to get harder sweetie
Your words I shudder to see
There is a nauseous yet not at sea ailment in me”
Other songs in her performance included “The Foxtrot“, “Asunder“, “Fire in the Sea“, “Crackerjack Box“, “Nowhere to Land“, and “On the Prowl“.
Reviewed by Jayme LaforteElvie's debut album, Deviant Darlings, can be purchased through paypal.Deviant Darlings: