California-raised singer-songwriter Cruel Billie is back with her retro sound on her newest single, “Bird On A Wire.” Outside of “Napoleon James Marlon,” the first single off her upcoming debut album, Billie hasn’t released new material since last year’s “Kill Darling!”
However, her brand of Americana hasn’t waned one bit, with “Bird On A Wire” embracing an on-the-run ruggedness over folk-rock production courtesy of Chris Dixie Darley.
The single opens up lavishly, letting the guitar strings and gentle keys dot the lush atmosphere. Equally pleasant in sound are Billie’s vocals, which cut through the instruments and push into the forefront of what ties the track together, especially when it moves through pockets of shimmering catharsis.
Like her past material, Billie’s lyrics soon take center stage, painting a vivid scene that backs her retro influences with fitting imagery. Comparing herself to the song’s namesake, she touches on topics such as societal expectations and free will, particularly in lines like “I’m a woman of the night / Haven’t found the use in acting right.”
By the latter half of “Bird On A Wire,” after several seamless moments of shifts in intensity, Billie finds herself a girl on the run as the song aptly picks up in energy. Overall, the song is a promising glimpse of what’s to come from Billie, whether it be in her debut album or beyond.
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Listen to “Bird On A Wire” the new single from Cruel Billie below!
