Eartheater
Below the Clavicle
PAN
New York-based experimental musician and multimedia artist Alexandra Drewchin returns with Below the Clavicle, an impressionistic single that soothes and jars – both of which are calling cards of her unique and often perplexing sound. Here, the folky indie vibes of the verses give way to the jolt of the chorus which gives the track an extra edge to it.
Guitars, harps and strings move and sway, forming a flowing background to Eartheater’s emotional vocal delivery. The lyrics concern the feeling of the meaning forming inside your chest of something you want to communicate, but that still hasn’t quite fully formed, so you remain mute: “Stuck in the middle of my clavicle/ I’m a clever girl to keep my mouth shut/ The meaning hasn’t come up yet/ It’s still under the surface.”
The chorus takes the title to a piercing cry in counterpoint to the rest of the track and shows off Drewchin’s impressive vocal range to convey a sense of unease.
Below the Clavicle is in keeping with Eartheater’s territory of taking on somewhat ambiguous topics and framing them with the senses of delicacy, drama and danger. Possessing a confident voice and with music that seems to draw from the past and future simultaneously, Eartheater continues to push the boundaries with her sound to create bold and bewitching compositions.
PAUL DOUGHTY
