Juliana Daugherty is inimitable — she’s a skilled multi-instrumentalist, has an MFA in poetry, and lives with a knack for chilling honesty that makes for unmatched and transcendent songwriting. We caught a taste of it in its enormity with “Player,” the first single shared off of her debut album Light. Today, she released the record’s title track, a haunting ballad that contains a whole breadth of deep, stirring emotion.
In “Light,” Daugherty masterfully integrates somber piano chords with a zesty, earthy backbeat of bass and percussion. It rolls with steadfastness, and Daugherty’s soft but strong vocals carry the song as it lifts and drops.
About “Light,” Daugherty said:
‘Light’ might be the darkest song on the record, but I think it is also the most optimistic. The final lines of the song are about finding the drive to carry on through darkness and difficulty. In my mind, and in the song, this drive has more to do with biology than with any human determination or strength of character. Some might see this as a bleak outlook, but I think this is a beautiful thing-to remember that I am first a living organism, governed by the laws that govern all organisms, has always been a comfort to me.
You can listen to “Light” below. Light is out 6/1 via Western Vinyl. Pre-order it here.
