Videos: Riki, ‘Florence and Selena’ and ‘Marigold’

Kevin Bronson on December 2nd, 2021

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If you didn’t live through the 1980s, Riki’s sophomore album “Gold” gives you a good idea of what the cooler parts sounded like.

The solo project of musician and visual artist Niff Nawor, a onetime player in the deathrock scene, Riki emerged in 2017 and thereafter was scooped up by Dais Records. “Gold” is her second album in two years, following a dark and dancey self-titled release.

Made with Telefon Tel Aviv’s Joshua Eustis at his Pasadena studio, the sleek, sultry “Gold” tamps down the more overt darkwave references in favor of soaring, layered pop that’s good for a swoon or three, like when Riki’s angelic vocals rise above the atmospherics on “It’s No Secret,” or when the sax kicks in on album closer “Florence and Selena.”

As the Muted Widows-directed videos for the latter and “Marigold” suggest, Riki’s not short on style or sophistication. Here’s an album on which the music matches the look.

||| Watch: The videos for “Florence and Selena” and “Marigold”