Seven years since his artistic debut at 10-years-old, singer-songwriter Sam Levin predates the release of his forthcoming third album, A General Air of Regret, with a new single. To a certain degree, ‘Bookmark’ is classic Levin material, featuring a general air of lyrical ambiguity that charms in its subsequently ubiquitous and mystifying nature. Featuring subtle drum kit percussion and a series of swirling guitar tones and melodies, it’s more of an expressive exhibition of the artist’s knack for musical composition than it is a statement with any direct message. As we exit the era where Levin could more easily be depicted as “precocious” or “prodigal”, we are left with a genuinely intriguing songwriter with his own offbeat mystique.
As Levin himself puts it, “People can experience as it relates to them, not me. The song allows me to showcase my guitar work, and it’s also a good introduction to the sometimes offbeat way I write lyrics. Dreamlike words and situations that people can attach their own feelings to. To me, ‘Bookmark’ embodies the feeling of being somewhere new, but where you’re not alone – so it’s not a scary new, it’s just new. Like the experience of looking at art or trying a food for the first time.”
A General Air of Regret releases on 27 February.
Words by: Jonathan Frahm (@jfrahm_)