Brighton-based artist Bess Atwell has just shared her latest shimmering single + music video titled “Release Myself.” It’s a showcase of her upcoming third full-length album Light Sleeper. “Release Myself” is a track drenched in a bath of fuzzy guitars and euphoric melodies, officially premiered on Steve Lamacq’s BBC 6 Music show.
Adding about “Release Myself”, Bess Atwell said, “There are always a couple of songs on a record that just sort of fall out of you and this was one of them. This was the first time I’ve managed to write about my panic disorder without slipping too far into sorry-for-myself or cheesy, faux-empowering territory. It’s a song that says “hey I’m struggling but I’m not a victim”. I knew I wanted to lean into a slightly 90s wall-of-guitars sound and make it as energetic as possible, without losing the song. My friend (artist Derek Inver) and I were discussing this era of music and how brilliantly expressive and unafraid a lot of the indie pop was. I wanted to perform like I meant it, because I do. I hope that’s apparent on this track.”
Featuring additional instrumentation throughout from Dessner himself alongside Big Thief’s James Krivchenia, Beirut’s Ben Lanz, and frequent Sufjan Stevens-collaborator James McAlister, Light Sleeper is comprised of 10 songs that glow with a warm effervescence and brazenly look inward – the type of stare-into-the-mirror self-reflection that’s as freeing as it is daunting. From overcoming the choreography of social dynamics to the struggle of ditching pills in an effort to break down your shield and feel more in life. Light Sleeper is an album of hard personal transformations and ultimately, triumphs.
Produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner and recorded at his remote studio in Long Pond, NY, Light Sleeper officially releases May 24th, 2024 via Real Kind Records.
What do you think of “Release Myself”? Looking forward to the new album?
