Music has unlimited power. It can change your mood, it can represent political movements, it can share the voice of oppressed peoples, help heal your soul and a myriad of other possibilities. In recent years, we’ve been hearing from more songwriters on the topic of mental health, which is not only a cathartic act for the artist, but it also helps those certain listeners feel less alone. This is what you’ll find at the heart of Sahara Beck‘s latest single ‘Stillness’.
It’s an evocative indie-rock track derived from the Australian artist’s real and personal experience of panic attacks. She honestly portrays the paralyzing fear brought on by anxiety, as well as the frenzied build-up that often leads to such attacks. Her words rattle with uncertainty, self-doubt, paranoia and the knowledge of what she should do to relieve her symptoms, but is literally unable. These lyrics are particularly effective when delivered with a purposeful rhythm, for example “traffic on the street, traffic in my mind, traffic in my soul, the streets gonna swallow me up whole.” The rich bass and deft percussion follow along with Beck‘s soothing vocal melodies, which possess a decidedly placid tone despite the ever-pervading sense of pressure.
The intelligent decision to compare her experience of panic attacks to the imagery of a traffic jam means that any listener, whatever their own mental health situation might be, can understand Beck and the meaning behind ‘Stillness’.
Written alongside her friend Alex Henriksson (Matt Corby, Budjerah, Jarryd James) and produced by Tony Buchen (Mansionair, Courtney Barnett), ‘Stillness’ is the third single from Sahara Beck‘s upcoming EP.
You can listen to ‘Stillness’ in both our Indie Rockers and Outsiders Club playlist.
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