Christina Ward brings us ‘Darkstar’, the latest single from the Philly songwriter’s upcoming EP, Neon. We were immediately taken by the song’s hypnotic, guitar-driven melody, reminiscent of 70s-era rock opuses this side of Hendrix or ELO. Its brooding structure offers a poetic world to inhabit, sewing dense sonic tapestries that may stick with the attentive listener past its crisp just-over-three-minute runtime.
Akin to the historic aircraft the tune shares a name with, its sleek, vintage, and effortlessly cool; although, it also weighs some baggage beneath the surface. The crux of ‘Darkstar’ is a melancholic meditation on Ward’s childhood. She tells Under the Radar, “The song is partly about my life as a kid, growing up with a schizophrenic mother, and how it’s affected me in my adult life and my own mental health.”
Listeners will be captivated by the song’s slinking melodies, emphasized by its ominous, driving guitars running parallel to one another, alongside Ward’s memorable vocals layered like gossamer. At its heart, it’s an expression of tough-to-express emotions.
Neon by Christina Ward drops on 11 October via Bad Catt and Mint 400.