Singer/songwriter Lizzy McAlpine captures the sacred, dizzying rush of falling in love again on “The Light in the Painting,” a luminous, intricately layered lead single from her forthcoming fourth album, ‘Angel,’ transforming emotional surrender into something intimate, cinematic, and unmistakably her own.

Stream: “The light in the painting” – Lizzy McAlpine

There’s a specific feeling that comes with falling for someone new.

It’s euphoric. It’s terrifying. It’s bright. It’s feeling something you genuinely weren’t sure you’d ever experience again, or maybe ever at all. And then it happens. Somehow, everything shifts.

Lizzy McAlpine captures that feeling in the most poetic way on “The light in the painting,” the lead single from her highly anticipated fourth album, Angel, arriving September 18 via RCA Records.

As longtime followers of McAlpine here at Atwood, we’ve always admired her seemingly effortless ability to create breathtaking art. Of course, we know there is immense care, intention, and craft behind every song, but what’s equally true is that she possesses an innate gift that simply can’t be taught. McAlpine has an instinct for following wherever the music leads, choosing honesty and artistry above everything else. By trusting her gut, she’s created a catalog that feels entirely her own, earning the fiercely loyal audience she deserves. On the strength of this first release, we have a feeling Angel will be her best work yet.

Written by Lizzy McAlpine, co-produced by McAlpine alongside Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall, and engineered by Atwood friend Omar Akrouche, “The light in the painting” opens with a gorgeous organ that immediately creates a sense of anticipation. It mirrors the quiet uncertainty that comes with the earliest stages of falling for someone, when every feeling is new and every emotion is heightened. McAlpine’s unmistakable voice enters with the song’s opening words, which also happen to be its title.

You are the light in the painting, painting
You are the light in the painting
That my eye is drawn to first
Holy ground when you kiss me
Sacred spaces all around
Steal an hour in the evening
Just to hold you now
Just to hold you now

One of the things we love most about music at Atwood is that while hundreds of songs may be written about the same feeling, new songs still continue to come along that will render that feeling in an entirely new way. McAlpine does just that with “The light in the painting.” The way she describes this feeling is completely original and instantly familiar. It’s beautiful and poetic and quite frankly, perfect.

The verse flows into the bridge with layers of McAlpine’s vocals and a melody only her brain could conjure up.

Meet me where I’ve always been
Feel the lightning on my skin
Time moves slower in a time like this
I stand there blinded by it

The music shifts for the second verse. As the piano and guitar gently trickle in, it’s almost as if they soundtrack the moment you stop wondering whether or not what you’re feeling is going to end and instead you allow yourself to revel in the good. A gorgeous piano melody, courtesy of longtime collaborator Taylor Mackall, carries us into this next verse with a sense of brightness and hope. Mason Stoops’ delicate guitar lick opens the song up and McAlpine sings the next verse,

You are the light in the painting, painting
You are the light in the painting
That my eye is drawn to first
Hold my breath when you’re near me
Sink my nails into your skin
What a beautiful way
to finally feel something

The song continues to build into its final culmination. The full band is in a rhythm now, McAlpine’s vocals are intertwined throughout flawlessly. It’s a celebration. It’s “The light in the painting.”

Start a fire when you touch me
Hold it close between our chests
If somewhere there is a heaven
This is as close as I will get
As close as I will get

The song arrived Friday alongside an equally stunning music video, directed by Neema Sadeghi and Lizzy McAlpine, with creative direction by Randi Cass. Together, they visualize the bliss “The light in the painting” exudes. It’s brilliant to watch, bringing a warmth to the song and tells a story that makes you wish it were a full film.

The video closes with McAlpine looking out of the passenger window, perhaps a subtle nod to her five seconds flat era. Where that same look once carried heartbreak and uncertainty, it now seems filled with a sense of calm, happiness, and hope.

Angel is out September 18th.

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Stream: “The light in the painting” – Lizzy McAlpine

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