Music Review: Kerli – Kerli EP

There are two things I know about Estonia. One, it’s located somewhere in Europe. Two, Kerli is from Estonia. Who is Kerli you might ask? Kerli is a product of the former Soviet-occupied small town of Elva. She is also a testament that aspiring musical artists can benefit from music competitions not named American Idol. 

Fizz Superstar 2002 would be Kerli’s first step toward fulfilling her musical dreams. The one drawback would be her age, which, at 14, would have made her ineligible for the age  cutoff of 15. So she lied. And then her singing overwhelmed the judges. She won the competition and a record deal. It would be three years later that she would sing in front of Island Def Jam Chairman L.A. Reid, that would get Kerli her first major record label deal in the U.S.

While her debut album isn’t to be available until sometime in 2008, Kerli has released a three song EP as a teaser. Her favorite and best track is the opening “Love Is Dead” (listen here) which is both grand and lush, in the way all of the song’s many elements are directed toward the theme of heartbreak. Kerli describes (in the press release) the song as “hard and dark enough, yet beautiful and light.”

Kerli’s songs are darker than the music many of her peers have made. Some might call it goth. Some might call it punk. Both contain themes of individuality and rebellion, which are definitely two themes that Kerli feels for. The semi-autobiographical “Walking On Air” depicts a little girl wishing to use her talents to find a better life, while her cover of Bauhaus’ “She’s In Parties” is edgier and less moodier than the original.

Art and music were Kerli’s main focus growing up. Music has given her great passion for everything, in her press release she stated, “I appreciate all the music in the world. Music is sacred. It’s the language of God”. The musical variety in this EP is interestingly diverse, and it’ll be exciting to hear what Kerli has planned next.