Here's another Scandinavian artist making interesting music that straddles the line between experimental and accessible with ease. Chez Ali is a project by Stockholm's Elias Mahfoud, who initially created the moniker while living in London in 2014 and 2015. Inspired by the British capital's indie rock scene, he put his own spin on the sounds he was hearing, and the results are sounding good so far.
"Blue Cheese" is a mournful song with a pretty guitar line running through it, while the percussion's jazzy sway lends a sense of timelessness to proceedings in a similar way to the music of Yellow Days and some songs on King Krule's latest album. Chez Ali tells us that his song, "deals with the insecurities and paranoia that can arise when you suspect a relationship is nearing its end whilst also knowing there’s nothing you can do about it”.
Elias performed as Chez Ali in Stockholm for the first time in 2017, but "Blue Cheese" is his first official single. It's out now via Stockholm independent label Rama Lama Records, and there's an EP and tour on the way for this summer too.
