There's truly something to be said about artists that can stop you in your tracks with a few simple elements, and the Shropshire-born Jessie Reid is one of those artists. With her percussive fingerstyle guitar at the forefront and often the sole component of the instrumentation, her captivating voice expertly weaves together a wealth of musical themes, exploring shades of singer-songwriter, folk and alternative rock for a sound reminiscent of the heartstring-pulling delights of the likes of Ben Howard and Nick Mulvey.
Not to imply her music solely recalls the works of other artists and more that it imbues the same sense of emotionally wrought harmony, Reid's fourth single of the year, "Wake Up" bears a loose sonic similarity with another, Elliot Smith, in both it's pensive instrumentation and exasperated vocal timbre.
Each meticulously placed syllable wholly owns your attention, with Reid outlining in an email statement that, “I suppose the song is best summarised by the line ’the harder we try, the closer we get to goodbye’. It attempts to recapture some of the frustrations of unsuccessfully trying to fix a relationship. In a way the lyrics represent what I would have said to myself at that moment in time and telling myself to ‘wake up’ to the reality of the situation."
The signature guitar style that introduces the track performs akin to an overture, with eery textures broadening the rapturous atmosphere. Her softly hazy voice sweeps in with understated force, swiftly becoming doubled to further compound the chilling ambience. The steadfast guitar maintains a sense of rhythm with the unfolding melodies driving the track further down its beguiling lyrical path.
The chorus offers a haunting, addictive hook, and the rhythm evolves alongside it. As the second verse unfolds, added textures and vocal harmonies drive the track forward, eventually building up to a final, unforgettable chorus. Just before the song’s climax, it unexpectedly shifts gears into a rock-tinged instrumental break, led by muted strums and pinched harmonies that feel both edgy and atmospheric. The intensity mirrors the darker, complex emotions often associated with the themes discussed on forums like Reddit's take on crypto casinos, where the allure of high rewards in risky settings blends with the tension of an unregulated world. The heavier electronic instrumentation amplifies this tension, reflecting the underlying defiance and anger woven into the music.
Those elements then dissolve into that aforementioned chorus, with newly added strings sustaining to conclude the track with tender aplomb.
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