Taking inspiration from artists like Cocteau Twins and Kate Bush, Atlanta-based artist Sarah Rae impresses with a dreamily entrancing sound throughout new album Bridge to Neverland. The album’s opening, self-titled track swells from spacious percussion, guitar trickles, and striking vocals, concocting a mysterious allure reminiscent of Kate Bush. The ghostly vocal presence lingers amidst gradually escalating guitar flickers, driving to a blast of guitar distortion as the vocals ascend with further vigor. The album’s opener sets a fervent, consuming tone that maintains throughout the release, whose numerous highlights include blistering rocker “Shadow Girl” and electro-pop mover “Static Ripple.”
Stream the entirety of Bridge to Neverland below:
Rae elaborates more on the album, below:
Bridge to Neverland is my first full length album written as a tale of a journey. Where will the journey take you? What will you feel on the journey? Who will you meet on your journey? Weaving in, and out of post rock, and shoegaze elements this album was composed to really pull at your heart strings. Sarah Rae takes inspiration from bands like Cocteau Twins with their emotion over meaning, and other sources like Kate Bush, Lush, and operatic vocalist like Amy Lee, and Sharon den Adel. With the title track leading you down a painful, confusing self-worth journey, you move through the tracks of the album riddled with operatic ambiance, and soaring vocals to really try to ask the listener to step on to the Jolly Roger themselves, and take their journey off to the promised Neverland.
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This track and others featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of January 2022’ Spotify playlist.