New Radiations

Description

THE LAST WE HEARD FROM MARISSA NADLER, SHE WAS SOARING WITH “THE PATH OF THE CLOUDS” AND ITS COMPANION EP, “THE WRATH OF THE CLOUDS.” NOW, ON HER TENTH STUDIO ALBUM, “NEW RADIATIONS,” SHE RETURNS WITH A RAW, INTIMATE, AND STUNNING COLLECTION OF ELEVEN OTHERWORLDLY SONGS.
FROM THE FIRST NOTE, NADLER’S LUSH VOCALS AND INTRICATE GUITAR PICKING ARE FRONT AND CENTER. SHE LAYERS EVERLY BROTHERS-WORTHY HARMONIES OVER DREAMLIKE, LONESOME SOUNDSCAPES — FUZZED-OUT DISTORTION, HAMMOND ORGAN, AND HAUNTING SYNTHS — THAT ENHANCE HER WARM VULNERABILITY WITH TEXTURE AND ATMOSPHERE. EACH TRACK UNFOLDS LIKE A VIGNETTE FROM A LIVED LIFE, DELIVERING AN EMOTIONAL WEIGHT THAT “HITS HARDER” WHEN THE CURTAIN DRAWS.
LYRICALLY, SHE MOVES THROUGH TIME AND SPACE, EMBODYING CHARACTERS IN A FLYING CESSNA, A SPACESHIP, A GETAWAY CAR, AND OTHER DIMENSIONS. HER NARRATIVE SCOPE IS CINEMATIC AND THE IMPACT DEEPLY PERSONAL. IN THE OPENING SCENE, SHE IS AN AVIATOR AIMING FOR ACCEPTANCE: “I’LL FLY AROUND THE WORLD JUST TO FORGET YOU / I’LL TRY NOT TO HIT THE MOUNTAINS WHEN I PASS / BLINDED BY THE SANDSTORMS, DON’T SEE THE LAND BELOW / MY LITTLE CESSNA IS OUT WEST, AND I HAD TO GO.”
ON THE TITLE TRACK, SHE CROONS “THE PSYCHIC VIBRATIONS AND NEW RADIATIONS HAVE TAKEN THEIR TOLL ON ME,” A SENTIMENT AS TIMELY AS IT IS HAUNTING, AS SHE ATTEMPTS TO “BREAK THE GLASS, END THE SCENE.” IN THE WONKY DOO-WOP OF “BAD DREAMS SUMMERTIME,” SHE BRACES FOR IMPACT AS THE WORLD CRUMBLES, DETAILING NIGHTMARES IN VIVID DETAIL.
THROUGHOUT NEW RADIATIONS, THE CONTRAST BETWEEN SWEET, CATCHY MELODIES AND DARK, VISCERAL LYRICS IS PROFOUND. IN “LIGHT YEARS,” SHE RECALLS: “BACK THEN, YOU WERE ALL THE RAGE, WHEN YOU COULD STILL HYPNOTIZE HER… YOU SAW LIGHTYEARS IN HER, YOU WERE RIGHT THERE BESIDE HER.” IN “YOU CALLED HER CAMELLIA,” THE NARRATOR LAMENTED: “THAT WAS NOT THE DEAL! (SHE DISAPPEARS),” WHILE “SMOKE SCREEN SELENE” WARNS: “DON’T LET HER DESTROY YOU LIKE I DID.” ON THE COSMIC MURDER BALLAD “HATCHET MAN,” A CHILLING HOTEL SCENE UNFOLDS: “THE ANGEL MADE HIM DO IT AND HE MADE ME WATCH – HE THOUGHT NO ONE WOULD NOTICE SHE WAS GONE,” AS THE NARRATOR FLEES INTO THE NIGHT.
“TO BE THE MOON KING,” INSPIRED BY THE FATHER OF MODERN ROCKETRY, FOLLOWS A MAN WRITING BACKWARDS CODE INTO MIRRORS AND TINKERING WITH BACKYARD ROCKETS TO REACH “THE RINGS OF SATURN ABLAZE.” WHETHER A FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNT OR AN INTERPRETATION OF THESE PEOPLE, THE ALBUM EXPLORES THE UNIVERSALITY OF LOVE AND LOSS WITH GRAVITY AND EMPATHY. IT CULMINATES