Hannah Georgas is usually the voice of reason. Her warm tones and conversational manner make the world seem a little less busy and a lot more penetrable. Georgas' newest collaboration with The National's Aaron Dessener, however, seeks to explore the murky and the undefinable, letting the side of her that doesn't always know the answer have its moment, too. Starting with the aptly titled single, "That Emotion," her first on Brassland and Arts & Crafts.
Produced by Dessner, "That Emotion" is a harmonious marriage of instrumental subtleties and vocal concessions. Georgas' warm voice feels malleable, gently enfolding the forgiving piano keys. Every pick of a guitar string, every softened strike of a drum is amplified by its own simplicity, a true marker of the veteran producer's work. But even still, it's her unapologetically human performance that stokes the fire, moving in slow but deliberate pulses. “Aaron and I agreed the production needed to bring out the truth in my voice," she confesses in a released statement. "I always felt happy with my songs but during these sessions we found something else—musically a new warmth and depth and, vocally, a delivery that is more raw and expressive, allowing the emotion of each song to shine through.”
Of course, a Georgas song isn't complete without its share of sentimentality. The writing is poignant, wistful but with the sliver of hope that through its conception, a more honest acceptance can be found. "This song is a portrait of one particular way that emotions can build up inside," she further explains. "You’re going through the motions, suppressing how you really feel, and pretending things are ok — but your body knows…that deep down life and worry can weigh you down in ways your head might not acknowledge." And though it is complex and heavy, Georgas makes it feel weightless and orderly—a simple part of life that can be healed through song, if not through personal trial.
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