Andrea Ward’s latest single is a spectral, warm ray of ethereal sunshine that seems to have sprouted from somewhere far and mystical, propagating like an unstoppable force through her dense knowledge of harmony, rhythm, and motion.
Based in New York, Andrea is a multidisciplinary artist whose varying spheres incorporate music, choreography, filmmaking, and run-of-the-mill mysticism. Inspired by the gorgeously baffling sounds of Icelandic Pop, the harrowing soundscapes of Norwegian Rock, and Avant-Garde, Awake At Night is at its heart, confounding and hard to explain. The composition seems to be in free time, sounding loose, ghostly, and unsettling, the harmonic choices, while effortless and musical, are challenging and unfamiliar, and the pounding drums are a force that keeps it all together. The inspired lyrics are also compelling and interesting, argues that you lie awake at night, knowing that there’s something wrong in your life, and fighting against the forces that aim to keep you asleep, and coupled with Andrea’s smooth motions in the warm video, shot in the studio during recording, results in an experience that’s quite eye-opening and unique.
I’m not mystical, and I struggle to grasp dense, contemporary choreography, but I can readily see, hear, and feel when a performance is inspired and honest, and Andrea Ward’s latest short single is indeed, all of those things. A multi-talented artist with a sound that’s purely intoxicating, Andrea Ward is easy to recommend.