When Soul Meets Music: Angel Snow's "Magnetic"

When finding your voice, the path comes with stumbles, falls, and failures. There's that feeling of anxiety that eats away at your conscious saying, "you're doing it all wrong." Angel Snow's new record, Magnetic, is a stunningly clear declaration of self as it departs from her singer/songwriter beginnings into a world full of dreamy synths, plenty of reverb, and introspective lyricism that calls upon that anxiety with wisdom and strength. A radical sonic departure from her early work, Angel Snow's new album feels like an artist finally coming from behind the curtain to show her true identity.As a young girl growing up in Nashville, her older brother introduced her the far-out electric stylings of Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, and Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails). In their ambient and dark electronic work, Snow found her passion for the electronic elements, drum machines, beats, and the like. “That ambient style is something I’ve always been drawn to." she describes, "It’s something I’ve always been passionate about, but I didn’t know if I could pull it off myself. While making Magnetic, I realized that I could. That revelation was a game-changer for me. It’s a dream that finally came to fruition.”In a way, Magnetic is Snow's recognition of her musical beginnings with the wisdom she brings being involved with the music scene in Nashville. One of the business' secret weapons, she made a name for herself in the 'Music City' penning songs for internationally acclaimed bluegrass-country singer Alison Krauss. To have written songs for the Alison Krauss is not an easy feat. As of 2016, Krauss has won 27 Grammy awards from 42 nominations making her one of the most awarded living recipients. But after touring the globe and earning the recognition, it was time for her to create a sound that was unique for her. “I never felt like what I was doing really represented who I am and the message I was trying to get across,” she admits. “I wanted an otherworldly and dramatic sound."She began working with Lee Groves, whose work has been showcased on albums from Goldfrapp to Gwen Stafani to Depeche Mode. Given his background, it is no wonder Snow decided Groves was the man for the job for her sonically ambitious album. The pairing of her singer/songwriter's suave and Lee Groves' electronic expertise on the record pays off. Highlights like "I Need You," "Magnetic," and "Photographs" offer a hauntingly beautiful vocal cadence with atmospheric production techniques that could play their way into your dreams. Though many of the notes and melodies on this album seem to float in thin air, every choice on this album speaks with purpose. Listening to her earlier works compared to now, Magnetic is a breath of fresh air. Here we find an artist taking steps to figure out what her musical identity is through electronic experimentation and careful lyricism that suggests artists like Beach House, M83, and Mazzy Star.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWPYlyHyCpY[/embed]Angel Snow will be holding a special CD release show for Magnetic presented by Gig City Productions at Barking Legs Theater Saturday, July 8th at 7PM.Fore more information about Angel Snow, visit her website or Facebook page.