REVIEW: Lauren Presley Has No Tears Left to Cry in New Single “Already Dead”
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY KATIE SLATER ☆
AS AN ARTIST THOROUGHLY DEDICATED TO THEIR WORK, LAUREN PRESLEY IS BACK WITH HER IMPRESSIVE NEW TRACK “ALREADY DEAD”—Taking a step away from the rollercoaster of romantic love, Presley’s latest singles have delved into the mental health crisis affecting the entire world. Told from the perspective of someone experiencing severe burnout, the song dives into a familiar tale of dwindling selfhood. Consistent with all of Presley’s songs, the track is defined by a blend of masterful songwriting, powerful vocals and top-notch production.
A very fitting, yet harrowing summary of the lyricism in “Already Dead” is the idea that pain is often easier to recognise than emptiness. A striking line in the opening verse illustrates that despite frequent breakdowns, Presley simply no longer feels the emotional release of crying. Expanding on this in the chorus, she expresses wishes to experience greater physical duress. Reaching a stage of such mental numbness that only bodily harm can create a primal feeling, she wills burning and suffocation to put an end to her emptiness.
Repeated throughout all the choruses, Presley decisively returns to the line “I wanna feel it in my chest” as a desperate plea. The home of our beating hearts, the chest is deeply associated with raw emotion. Unlike the thoughts and feelings formed in the head which rationalise, loop and distort, sentiments here are untouched and visceral. Presley’s begging lines are subversive and poignant as she desperately wishes to fill the void.
The production echoes this emotional weight, moving expertly through shifts in energy based on lyrical content. Opening with heavily overdriven chords, the effect is immediately hazy. This blown out sound is achieved by pushing an audio signal past its volume limit until it clips and distorts. Obscuring individual notes and strumming patterns, this effect is a brilliant metaphor for Presley’s emotional burnout. Cleverly, this effect is also mirrored in the vocal lines of the chorus, which break up on sustained notes.
A song that plays brilliantly with mood shifts, this high-energy attack stands out against a wealth of more restrained sections. The verses are characterised by a muted accompaniment. Choked chords create a feeling of growing suppression, building towards their inevitable release. Subtle elements of gathering momentum are introduced, such as the simple drumbeat driving the second verse. Playing on the weak beats of the measures, this driving backbeat adds a slightly off-kilter feel, tripping over itself in its surge forwards.
“Already Dead” is a track of screaming passion which expresses a deep ache beyond its explosive noise. Rich in contrast, the song transitions seamlessly between restraint and climax. At times mirroring the lyrical content of lost-selfhood and a soul-destroying numbness, the songwriting also acts as a cathartic release, cutting through the void.
