Single Review: Esbie Fonte - 'Manumit'

 Esbie Fonte follows up raw and despondent 'Ace's High' with transfixing new single, 'Manumit'. 
'Manumit' opens with an immediacy which is both enveloping and intended to disorientate. As the track develops, it continues to embrace those spiralling layers of organic instrumentation and enchanting, eerie electronic work. There's confusion and clarity. The track is veiled in mystique yet also grounded with a surprisingly grungy indie rock guitar side to it.

Esbie Fonte's haunting vocal and vivid lyricism is beginning to become one of my favorite sounds to hear. There's a charm to the fatigue in her delivery as the track explores mental debilitation, but there's true distinction and beautiful tone as she finds strength in vulnerability and power in exposing her darkest innermost thoughts and feelings.

Existing between fantasy and reality, Fonte seems to be creating dark, indie-alternative folklore songs befitting for 2018. It seems Fonte is very skilled at developing incredibly affecting songs that cast spells and disillusion over their listener, binding and then unshackling. 'Manumit' tugs at the veil of reality, while simultaneously holding a mirror up, exposing real and raw emotion in its lyrics.

I'm incredibly drawn to what Esbie Fonte is doing right now and I hope you are too.

Words of Karla Harris