zzzahara - ‘Spiral Your Way Out’ Review: The perfect soundtrack to self-discovery during breakup aftermath
For a record about feeling ‘lost’, it’s pretty easy to get ‘lost’ in every track and come out feeling better than ever.
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Credit: Pooneh Ghana 📸
‘If I had to go, I would leave the door closed halfway’ exclaims LA-based singer/songwriter zzzahara. It appears these words are not simply a track, but a feeling quite pertinent throughout his entire latest album.
zzzahara’s fourth record came to life in the ashes of a relationship trying to fit someone else’s mould and therefore hitting (inevitable) rock bottom.
The album walks you through life in this toxic mindset, covering obsession (Bruised), losing control (It Didn’t Mean Nothing) and finding good in bad (Pressure Makes A Diamond). Spiral Your Way Out as a title is a brilliant way of describing the spiderweb of emotions that come associated with walking away from such a situation.
Every track is glowing with bedroom pop as you’d find in lo-fi indie leaders Men I Trust, Hers or Japanese Breakfast. The latter was intentional, employing producer Jorge Elbrecht to assist. Interestingly, despite the warmth, the project packs a punch, while exhibiting tangible emotion.
There’s as much fight in these tracks as there is soothing melancholy. One of our favourites It Didn’t Mean Nothing is an excellent example of blending a soft lo-fi style with intricate guitars to create a satisfying sound.
Ghosts take these familiar techniques and complement them with synths. Our other standout, Head In A Wheel, leans further into the rhythm guitars, dragging The Beatles into a dreamy alternate universe.
Ultimately, this record is designed to demonstrate feeling lost, vulnerability and self-discovery. It was imperative you, as a person, feel like you’re in the room too. You need to empathise and feel the pain. And you do. You’re invited to lose yourself in the tracks, and return a new person as well.
The record was created in a three-month burst, allowing you to get an unfiltered look at how zzzahara was feeling. To capture that feeling so raw, with such impressive production, is no simple task, and one which can only be applauded as a piece of work.
So, why did zzzahara leave the door closed halfway? Only time will tell. We think this self-discovery may be the best move so far. We also don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon either. Spiral Your Way Out is a tremendous listen for anyone, and it’s time for you to get lost in it too.
Now, it’s your turn. Give it a spin, and tell us what you think on Insta or X.
Rating: 7/10
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