Rachel Baldwin has been releasing music since 2017, but she had been quiet for almost three years. What a joy it is for us that she’s back, as her new single, Long Night, is horribly brutal. Her personality transcends the commercial, and her music could even fit into the cinematic genre.
Baldwin is a songwriter and artist based in Los Angeles. Her sound is a blend of classic American folk crooners with the touch of indie rock that is currently popular. Her lyrics are distinctive, marked by biblical references she drops in her songs, stemming from her love of modernist literature and an unfavourable relationship with her religious upbringing. Her themes? Horror movies, as well as chaotic relationships and internal conflicts.
The Long Night single was born in the most customary way possible: while walking her dog. It’s surprising where inspiration struck in this context, as the song tells the story of a love gone horribly wrong from the perspective of the thriller Donnie Darko (2001) and Scream (‘90s). It’s no surprise, then, that we hear a long scream at the end of the song. The aura of the melody is almost as creepy as the lyrics. Tubular bells and synthesised bass contribute to creating this discomfort. The man the song talks about is disturbing, and the heroine of the song discovers he has done something unforgivable, so she proceeds to take revenge. A creepy pop produced by Gal Petel in a home studio. What more could you ask for?
