Combining traces of Middle Eastern and Persian/Iranian music with electronica, trip-hop, R&B and dance music,
Shani had an unorthodox and risk-taking debut album in
Undercurrent. Shani's writing and co-writing are as impressive as her vocals, which could be described as an unlikely combination of Enya,
Madonna,
Ofra Haza and
Tori Amos. It isn't every day that singers manage to merge such a variety of influences into a into a cohesive sound, but it's a combination that works perfectly for the Arkansas native on intoxicating, atmospheric, heavily electronic songs like "Desert Flower," "Dancing in a Minefield" and "Seldom Sea" (all of which are sung in English). Though synthesizers are quite prominent on this CD,
Shani also employs some acoustic and electric guitar, violin, drums and a few Middle Eastern instruments. In fact, her guests on
Undercurrent include Middle Eastern musicians
Bijan Mortazavi (a talented violinist) and Arrarat Petrossian (who is heard on the shvi and the duduk). One thing's for certain -- no one's going to accuse Shani's haunting, personal songs of sounding generic. ~ Alex Henderson