Halifax’s Alana Yorke rises from soft, mellow depths to a smoldering fever pitch in “Let Me Go,” a cathartic and achingly intense outpouring taken off her boldly uncompromising new album, ‘Destroyer.’
Stream: “Let Me Go” – Alana Yorke
Catharsis doesn’t always mean shouting until your voice is hoarse.
Although the tried-and-true is fun for good reason, relief and release can also come in the form of whisper-like mantras and slow-burning repetitions. “Will you ever, will you ever, will you ever let me go?” sings an exhausted, impassioned Alana Yorke on her latest offering, “Let Me Go.” Her voice is fragile and fiery – a delicate but dynamic source of light shining through a dark ethereal haze. Over brooding piano lines and shuffling drums, she spreads her wings and soars, inviting all to join her and dwell in an intimate moment of euphoria.
All the way to the bottom
All the way here I’ve been good
Look around me, no you can’t ’cause
Look around you were never really there
Will you ever, will you ever
Will you ever let me go?
Will you ever, will you ever
Will you ever let me go?
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Let Me Go,” the final single taken off Alana Yorke’s brand new album Destroyer (out May 17, 2024 via Canadian indie Paper Bag Records. The heavy sigh of relief after a long, arduous spell, “Let Me Go” is described as a celebration after being held back for so long.
The Halifax-based singer/songwriter calls it a “reflection of the human condition” – one filled with yearning, white-hot desire, and unapologetically outstretched palms. Yorke’s aching lyrics and her emotionally charged vocal performance reflect on personal growth and breaking out of the patterns that hold us back from realizing our potential. She rises from soft, mellow depths to a bold fever pitch, complete with a screaming saxophone that smolder and soar together with the thunderous fills of fully unleashed, beautifully dramatic drums.
It’s a breathtaking journey to undergo in just five minutes’ time, and one that captures not only the breadth and depth of Alana Yorke’s artistry, but also the sheer intensity of her new album.
“The release of Destroyer is the culmination of an era in our lives [meaning myself and husband/co-producer Ian Bent], and is the embodiment of a personal transformation,” Yorke tells Atwood Magazine. “I had to pass through three “rings of fire” or “trials.” if you will, to complete the record: (1) working through PTSD from a scuba diving accident which was the genesis of the record, (2) facing the self (dealing with complex developmental trauma) which was the extended process, and, finally, (3) experiencing a literal hemorrhagic stroke and experiencing those changes and recovery, returning to life – the completion.”
“Musically, we took no shortcuts, we followed every idea down together, we refused to compromise any quality, until we had fully explored each song and its elements and the sound took shape. We operated in the dark, so to speak, letting the work take shape out of the unknown, hybridizing a plethora of influences rather than following a well-worn production path. ‘Let Me Go’ is such a celebration. I feel like it’s the party, now that this journey has occurred, now that we’re here. Musically, it really scratches an itch for me, and the extended sax and drum solos were so satisfying for us to produce, so self-indulgent. Joyous, really – we laughed so much making this in the studio.”
“The track was supposed to end with a long, slow fadeout as a throwback to earlier eras, but we ended up loving it so much that we just let it play. Everything is said, and there’s nothing left. That’s a great feeling, a great release.”
Some aches never go away, but for a moment at the end, it feels like Alana Yorke has transcended her traumas and found a temporary nirvana: That long-sought, hard-won peace and tranquility that so often eludes even the happiest of souls. Stream “Let Me Go” exclusively on Atwood Magazine today ahead of Destroyer’s May 17th release, and get swept up in the undercurrent of Alana Yorke’s musical storm.
Our secrets come between us
This will be the first to grow, this will be the
First hang up, don’t call again
There are things we should never ever show
Will you ever, will you ever
Will you ever let me go?
Will you ever, will you ever
Will you ever let me go?
Will you ever…
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:: stream/purchase Destroyer here ::
:: connect with Alana Yorke here ::
Stream: “Let Me Go” – Alana Yorke
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© Cherakee Andresen 🖼 © Paul McCurdy
© Cherakee Andresen
🖼 © Paul McCurdy:: Stream Alana Yorke ::
