"Castle With The Lights On" by Shannon Stevenson
Review
Within a month of telling you about "Midnight" by Shannon Stevenson, I find myself in the fortunate position of being able to now give you a heads up on her next release, the single "Castle With The Lights On" which comes out on 1st February and is in turn a foretaste for her next album.
With many reviews of tracks yet to be released, I walk a form of tightrope in terms of what I share with you: on one hand I am keen to share my enthusiasm for what I have heard & frankly encourage you to check it out (and buy it), on the other, I don't wish to provide a spoiler & deprive you of the quality of experience I had on my first listen when your turn comes.
To that end, at Shannon's own suggestion, you might like to think of this less as a detailed preview and more of an ‘exclusive insight' into "Castle With The Lights On" and then you can sample its delights for yourselves next month.
Firstly, I was deeply impressed by the standard of writing: Shannon is one of the local artists who does not rest on her laurels but kicks into a higher gear each time round, and this track took me by surprise and that it one of the delights of reviewing. From its imaginative title (which alone intrigues us and presses us to listen) to the crafty & original lyrical slant & details, this is a song which stands out & creating those is no mean feat.
Full immersion in the creative process no doubt helps to craft songs which reek of individuality like this & as Shannon wrote it, performed it & produced it with Jon Priestley at Abatis Studio, the level of internal artistic integrity is high. Such a level of ownership of each aspect of what we hear no doubt contributes to how much she rates the end product (she describes it as her "…favourite track recorded so far and one of my favourite diary entries and stories to write") though I'm sure my sharing details of the story would definitely be a spoiler too far: you'll just have to wait & learn that for yourselves (though you can currently check out a half a minute taster at https://www.facebook.com/ShannonStevensonMusic/videos/857112335123421)
"Castle With The Lights On" really struck home with me: honest, insightful & original songwriting at its best, delivered with a tasteful and truthful performance & I can't wait for you to be able to hear it for yourselves nor to sample the full album.
Bon appetit
