With her debut album, MiCHOU’s DREAM, which came out earlier this month, Seattle-born singer-songwriter and producer Anna Justen formally introduces herself on the strength of songs like “shadow.” Justen, who takes after 2000s alt-folk bands and artists like Death Cab for Cutie, looked to the past for her first full-length project, which extends to “shadow” and its use of spectre-like vocals to portray nostalgia.
From the beginning, the wind chime quality of the instruments, as Justen’s hushed voice comes into play, helps convey a sense of calm reminiscent of singer-songwriters like Daniel Johnston. But when the drums come rolling in, “shadow” gradually expands from a foundation that had already separated Justen from other artists within the indie-folk and pop sphere. By the track’s last minute, the combination of French lyrics and near-anthemic sound finds “shadow” transformed into an entirely different song than it began.
However, the change is never abrupt, with the song gradually evolving across the runtime. If anything, the transition and level of experimentation on Justen’s part, who co-produced the track, shows how much she can stretch a song and lead a track into unexpected directions.
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Listen to “shadow” the new single from Anna Justen below!
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