Margaret Glaspy - 'Memories'
Margaret Glaspy manages to expertly evoke feelings of nostalgia and sorrow in her gorgeous new single ‘Memories’.
Indie singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy has released another track from her upcoming record Echo The Diamond, out on August 18, which will be her third full length album.
Hailing from Sacramento, California, Glaspy began playing guitar in high school and decided to pursue it. She attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston after receiving a grant, but later dropped out and started playing around Boston. She released two EPs herself in 2012 and 2013 and went on to sign with ATO Records in 2015 and has since released two albums: Emotions and Math (2016) and Devotion (2020).
Her new track Memories differs from the record’s lead single Act Natural, which is a stunning slice of blues-rock, loud and energetic.
Memories is a raw song, touching and achingly personal. It’s sprawling and melodic, with a tempo that makes the listener feel like they are being swept away with it, just as the narrator of the song is by her grief.
It opens with electric and acoustic guitar that complement each other perfectly, gentle and soothing, the tone melancholic. Her vocals come in abruptly, “Memories/Feel like a disease” she sings, her voice rich and full of feeling. The drums are soft yet solid, carrying the rhythm brilliantly. The production on the track is all sensational and doesn’t overshadow her vocals or the wonderful songwriting. Speaking on the origins of the track, Glaspy said: “Memories was probably the most challenging song for me to track; the take you hear is the only one I was able to get through completely. It was a level of vulnerability I’d never gotten on record, and it holds a very special place in my heart now. Even though it’s about a very specific loss for me, it seems to ricochet in different ways for anyone who hears it.”
Because the subject matter is something we will all experience, it is very easy to relate to the song and place our own meaning on it. “Memories/Forgive me, please/I’m lonesome without you” she delivers.
The outro is a slow, heartfelt guitar solo that echoes back the melody of the song, full of emotion and tenderness.
Margaret Glaspy has yet again proven herself to be one of the most talented singer-songwriters on the indie/blues scene today, and her new album is shaping up to be sensational. Echo The Diamond is out August 18.
Words by Lucy Skeet
