Singer-songwriter Fourth Daughter, aka Emily Atkinson, unveils her new single, “Say What You Want,” along with b-side, “Calling Out Your Name,” lifted from her upcoming debut EP, Hyperreal.
According to Emily, “‘Hyperreal’ is an exaggerated, over-the-top version of reality where you focus on one thing so much that you can’t make out what’s real and true outside of it.”
Talking about “Say What You Want,” Emily shares, “Maybe they’ll appreciate the vulnerability and truth in my songs or just dig into the tracks/production and their energy. The human experience is confusing and weird at times but it’s relatable and being able to funnel that into creating songs is pretty cool.”
The youngest of four daughters, Emily used music as a way to escape the ennui of growing up in a small town located in Scotland’s countryside. Exploring her parents’ CD collection, which was decidedly synth-heavy, she immersed herself in sound, eventually emerging as a classically trained pianist.
She explains, “I grew up in a really small town so there wasn’t an awful lot to do. I remember being fascinated by CDs and reading the booklet cover to cover. We were listening to my Dad’s Annie Lennox CD, and I remember being really taken by her voice and just being obsessed.”
While studying music in Edinburgh, Emily developed and nurtured her production skills.
Blending elements of ‘80s synth-pop with tints of ‘90s house flavors, “Say What You Want” opens on a rumbling-lite, syncopated rhythm topped by Emily’s delicate yet alluring, translucent tones, imbuing the lyrics with delicious surface hues, at once dreamy and beguiling.
As the tune ebbs and rises on shimmering colors, followed by thicker, throbbing textures and extended resonance, Emily’s crème de la crème vocals range from soft breathlessness to soaring, bewitching timbres.
Simultaneously thrumming with house dynamics and tinctures of electro-pop, with “Say What You Want,” Fourth Daughter hits the sweet spot.
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