The latest single from Indie-Pop artist Virginia Marcs is entitled This Time and it showcases a wide range of abilities that the singer has impeccable control of. The verses have a vocal line that Virginia sings with so much vulnerability and fragility in her storytelling style that transcends her feelings to the listener. The transitions from chest register to the flail and airy head voice were a double shocker for me as it shows the elite vocal ability as well as emotional delivery. Transitions like these take years and years to master, and it seems like Virginia’s classical training granted her this agility and ease to her voice that reminds me of the likes of Florence Welsh and Elena Tonra of the band Daughter. The song’s chorus is both empowering and heart-shattering. Its lyrics give you the impression of a person getting over a traumatic experience they went through and deciding to take no more toxicity in their life. The brief chorus of the song only plays twice, adding to that storytelling vibe without making the song feel repetitive. Its lyrics demarcate that moment of epiphany for the song’s main character as Virginia sighs:
“I’ve been carved out and shaped, held down and draped across your finish line
A consolation prize, but not this time, not this time”
The biggest shocker for me was the outro section which is just a repetition of the phrase “This time” with thicker and more powerful-sounding yells in Virginia’s head-y mix registers. I cannot really tell how many tricks she has up her sleeve at this point. Backing her natural pipes is a gloomy guitar chord progression and some folk-like added percussion sounds that work beautifully well with the song’s heavy and depressing lyrical context. If you’re looking for a song to relate to on your tough days and make you feel empowered and not alone in your dark times, then This Time will definitely be it.