Lottie Zttarr’s “Revealing” is a hypnotic, haunting piece. If you enjoy the stylings of FKA twigs, you’ll doubtlessly enjoy Lottie. The simplistic keyboard part combined with Lottie’s airy, high-pitched crooning makes for an intimate, poignant experience. The lyrics follow a repetitive arc, driving home a few key phrases to maintain the angsty mood.
The song opens with a keyboard outlining the chords. The attack is fast but the reverb is deep and layered, creating a raw, jejune ambiance. The vocals enter with an eerily atonal glissando, covered, distorted, and buried in the mix. Every detail in these first few seconds contributes to the inherent darkness of the song. Already the listener feels a kind of artistic uneasiness.
The lyrics suddenly cut through the vocal effects, “Now my eyes can see all you have been concealing.” The sudden clarity of the words insinuates the beginning of the verse, thusly the beginning of the message. This line implies that the veil has been lifted from the speaker’s eyes. It almost feels sort of omniscient, all-knowing, and unnerving. This mood continues throughout the rest of the verse until the keyboard takes over again for a brief interlude. This simple, innocent solo spills soaring overtones into the top end of the mix, furthering the mesmerizing effect of the song.
The second verse very closely mimics the first, utilizing many of the same lyrics. This time, the vocals are more versatile. Lottie sometimes whispers, sometimes belts. Her inflections become more dramatic and varied. The trail of reverb is drowned in white noise, like distant voices or cars. A guitar patters in, softly complementing the keyboard as the song fades out.
“Revealing” is an incredibly evocative piece. Every aspect of it is expertly crafted to draw out a very specific feeling from the listener. If you’re looking for a deeply meaningful yet unsettling track, definitely give this one a spin.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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