One of the toughest things for a musician to do is to follow up an acclaimed album, even more so if it is a debut album. There are high expectations (usually, these expectations are very unrealistic, too) and lots of pressure to live up to it, or at least recapture the magic and excitement of the record that came before. As for singer songwriter Sophie Jamieson, she continues right where she left off from Choosing, as I still want to share is another fantastic release. It is an intimate collection of songs that puts her wonderful voice and candid songwriting on full display.
On every track, I was truly amazed by Jamieson’s voice. There is something so mesmerising and comforting about it. Jamieson’s voice is working on another level in ‘How do you want to be loved?’. It is truly breathtaking. Every word is powerfully sung and leaves a deep impact on the listener, especially when Jamieson belts out, “How do you want to be loved?” Even though it is way too early to tell, as the new year has just begun, I have a feeling this will be among the year’s best vocal performances. The soothing and warm instrumentation also really stands out on this track. Meanwhile, in ‘I don’t know what to save’, Jamieson’s voice sways and flows in a stunningly majestic way. Lastly, in ‘I’d take you‘ that same warm style of instrumentation, combined with Jamieson’s stunning vocals and pensive lyrics, gives it a meditative feeling.
Some artists tend to shy away from being very intimate or personal in their storytelling, but Jamieson embraces it with open arms. The songwriting throughout the record is brutally honest, emotive, and vulnerable. With ‘Vista’, Jamieson’s captivatingly vivid and introspective lyrics are beautiful. The rich storytelling is backed by delicate guitar playing and a calming atmosphere. ‘Your love is a mirror’ is a devastating song about love that is bound to either move you to tears or make you marvel at the lovely and poignant lyrics.
Other notable highlights are ‘Highway’ and ‘Welcome’. ‘Highway’ has a superb interplay of loud/quiet dynamics and a grand cathartic finale full of emotion that will hit the listener in the feels. Ending a song in such a thunderous and exhilarating way was such a great idea and is easily my favourite part instrumentally on the record. On the other hand, ‘Welcome’ sees Jamieson’s calming voice be paired with somewhat eerie and mysterious instrumentation, resulting in the song having both a ‘welcoming’ and ‘haunting’ atmosphere.
Overall, Sophie Jamieson’s second album, I still want to share, is a compelling display of complex songwriting and features top-notch vocals.
