Mal Devisa - "O Ivory" and "To Be Unwilling"

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Photo by POND Creative

Hailing from Amherst, MA, Mal Devisa (aka artist Deja Carr) has a pair of new singles our off of her upcoming album. The first, "O Ivory," is a piano ballad consisting of Devisa's vocals and piano. It's an impossibly raw and intimate with more than a little bit of jazz thrown in. It's such an intimate song that you can hear the keys being pressed down at certain points. Similar yet completely different is "To Be Unwilling." This second song is another raw and stripped down song consisting of Mal Devisa's vocals and a single instrument (apologies, but I can't place what this one is) until the drums kick in, but the vibe is quite different. This one sounds and feels more like a bedroom recording, and sounds more modern than the jazzy "O Ivory." These are two very different songs that work together as a pair and help show Carr's fantastic diversity as an artist.

Deja Carr says of her two new singles:

"O Ivory reflects a snapshot of experiences that  I've had with becoming who I am today. The verses echo the quiet and peace that I feel when I watch a good film or make a nice cup of coffee. With the song To Be Unwilling, I don't really know what to say about it other than that I truly feel the presence of my ancestors when I sing some of these lyrics, not physically but in my heart.  I think about them, and their time on this planet." 

You can listen to "O Ivory" and "To Be Unwilling" below. Palimpsea is due out July 30 on Topshelf Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Mal Devisa, check out the artist on Instagram.

"O Ivory":


"To Be Unwilling":

On Repeat...

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