Samantha Stone claws at denial in new single "Wide Awake"

With haunting, heart-wrenching vocals, Samantha Stone explores the darkest corners of human emotion. Getting her start singing the southern California college circuit, the LA-based "dark pop artist" graduated to clubs and venues that could hold her maturing musical prowess. Now, in her latest release, she exposes the inner workings of emotional dependency and its tumultuous cognitive consequences.

"Wide Awake" peers into the mind at the moment someone realizes their love is one-sided. Every musical choice reflects something lacking. The opening psychedelic melody echoes with delay in a hollow orchestration.

The sparse harmonic space of bass and drums teeters unbalanced until pierced by a siren voice crying for love in a shattered world.

"I just want to fall asleep with no doubt in my head," Stone begs. But the subtle reverb layering notes into minor chords gives no solace. Her anger, her grief, and her hypnotizing voice evoke the same power and raw emotion Amy Lee of Evanescence commanded. Except Samantha Stone gives those sad and angry parallels a dark, alternative twist with this fruitless desire to return to ignorance, all while reluctantly leaving behind a dream.

Stream "Wide Awake" below.

Ben McCoy

Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he's not writing for his supper, he's eating it at some of NYC's most interesting restaurants.