Irma Vado is a Lithuanian singer songwriter who has just come to my attention through the release of her debut album. A beautiful introduction to her musical journey, it’s called AQUARIUM.
By Graeme Smith
Born in Kaunas, Lithuania, Irma has always wanted to pursue a career in music, and never let the circumstances of her life hold her back. A significant loss in her family gave her more incentive to not give up on her dream and she’s been releasing a string of singles and EPs since 2022, all culminating in this debut full-length album.
AQUARIUM is nine varied tracks, each delving into deep themes and exploring them through expressive vocals. Musically it combines elements of hip-hop, R&B and pop to create something that feels very contemporary while also breaking new ground. A strong sense of emotion runs through everything, and Irma has a knack for bringing the feelings to life through her astute lyrical detail.
We are told of heart-wrenching romantic dilemmas (Like You, While We Wait), mysterious strangers (What’s Inside?), and ecclesiastical meditations (Air). Insanity provides a mid-album highlight, with a stripped-back instrumental and a stream of consciousness vocal style that best showcases Irma’s song-writing prowess. Go World, too, is a soaring, soulful wonder.
The album is rounded off by the searching and hopeful The Opening, the moody and cinematic Only At Night and Who Asked? The latter closes the album with a sultry highlight that has lyrics full of fire and attitude.
If you like pop and R&B music and are looking for something new to listen to, then Irma Vado’s debut album is for you. She puts plenty of herself into it while crafting some memorable tracks full of relatable emotion. She clearly needs no encouragement to keep going, but I feel like the reception she’ll get for this album will certainly help. She’s the definition of a rising star.
You can listen to AQUARIUM below.