New Artist Finds: Denai Moore

Atypical.  That seems to be the best word to describe new artist Denai Moore, a 19 year-old songstress from Stratford.Born in Spanish Town, Jamacia, Moore and her family moved to 'the uncool part of East London' when she was 10. Blessed with the voice of a soul diva, Denai forgoes the beats and production that normally accompany someone of her vocal talent, and instead crafts minimalistic folk songs.

There's a sleepy soul vibe to her sound, which draws comparisons to James Blake and Corinne Bailey Rae. Recently inspired by the likes of Feist and Bon Iver, Moore had barely preformed live before she started touring last year.

Again, atypical.

"Gone"

Moore's debut EP is called Saudade, a Portuguese word with no literal English translation that describes a deep emotional longing or nostalgia for a lost love. Clearly she and I are not buying our Word-a-Day calendars at the same place.

Denai is sure to pile up detractors who say she's chosen the wrong genre, but such misplaced criticism won't bother her. She's expressed a desire to be like Cat Power, an artist whose sound is constantly evolving yet unmistakingly their own.

Whether Moore has such a lengthy and distinguished career remains to be seen, but so far she's off to a good start.

"Wolves"

Given her current set of short-term limitations - has been playing live shows for approx. 18 months, is only 19 f*cking years old, has only been writing this style of music for less than 24 months, is from the uncool part of East London, etc. - it's impossible to predict what type of artist she'll become, or where her career will end up.

Denai Moore is a decidedly raw, not to take anything away from the music she's currently making and playing, but it sure seems like the best is yet to come.

"Flaws"

Congrats to our Curator Duffster, who brought us this great pick and gets the badge on his Curator profile.  Do you think you've discovered the next big artist?  Find out how you can become a Curator here.