Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jessi Robertson crafts a journey of self-discovery and unmasking on Dark Matter, her latest album. “This spring, I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a revelation that brought on a long period of self-reflection,” she says. “I realized how much of my life I’ve spent masking: socially, emotionally, and creatively.” Revisiting discarded songs from 2017, Robertson transformed these once-abandoned pieces — exploring black holes, quantum entanglement, and the emotional physics of being misunderstood — into a deeply personal, introspective work that rebuilds both the music and herself, now with a new understanding of herself.
“Sometimes my nightmares come alive,” Robertson sings with foreboding entrancement to open the album, melding with chilly guitar twangs and ghostly backing vocal snippets as “Spooky Action at a Distance” unfolds. “I’m trying, I’m trying,” she sings during an especially heartrending sequence, furthering the nocturnal soundscape with the “sometimes the night wears on too long” observations. Moodily delectable in its soundscape and lonesome lyrical sentiments, “Spooky Action at a Distance” commences the release in riveting form.
Likewise, the ensuing “Shadow War” pairs a haunting refrain — “I’m the enemy” — within steady rhythms and jangling guitar eeriness, crafting a nostalgic allure with shades of ’80s post-punk, a la Chameleons UK. Another standout track, “In Dreams Awake” continues the exceptionally strong start. “Maybe I’ll stay submerged,” an introspective vocal subduedness lets out, maneuvering into a spine-tingling “still feels like yesterday” retrospection. Hopeful vocal captivation combines with a dreamy rock pull for a replay-inducing success.
The album continues to impress from there, ranging from the late-night climactic vocal build on “Persistent Memory” — equating personal loss to “drowning on dry land” — to rousing finale “Object of Desire,” where perceptions of a broken self stir — aspiring to “exist as more than an avatar” as mellow guitar stylings intermingle with the soulful vocal passion. Dark Matter is a heart-on-sleeve, definitive success in songwriting from Jessi Robertson.
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“In Dreams Awake” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
