Phebe Starr is one of those rare artists whose music not only speaks to the soul, but captures it as well. The Australian songstress’ latest release, “Lavender Scars,” is a personal expression of the grief she felt after learning that the father of a close friend had passed away.
The opening is hauntingly empty and atmospheric, and Starr’s solo voice - laden with effects - guides us into this dark and densely textured world. Synths echo in the distance, and slow beats creep in with an uneasy hesitation. The chorus erupts into a shuddering wave, and Starr’s vocals soar with ethereal grace.
“Lavender Scars” is a bittersweet ballad akin to a swell of overwhelming emotion – one that begins deep in your chest, before steadily enveloping your world. It takes over your senses until you find yourself lost in a swirling world of confusing raw emotion, and then, finally, freedom.
“I was working alone in the studio when I received a text from a close friend of mine,” Starr explains. “Her father, who had had a long struggle with illness, had finally passed. I didn’t know what to say … So, I cried. Which is strange and may seem overly emotional, weeping for someone you don’t really know. But I wasn’t just crying for this situation, I was crying for the fact there has been and there will be many times in life that I cannot make sense of sorrow and the grief that this world seems to be riddled with. I think the greatest comfort we can give a friend when they suffer is the understanding that they have lost, and there is nothing we can do but sit in the darkness beside them.”
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