Melancholy is like a warm blanket. It’s soft and impressionable, it wraps around you and begins to obscure the world outside. The longer you spend under it, the more accustomed to it you become and it becomes harder to leave. It’s a comforting warmth that you use to fool yourself.
Yet at the same time when you share that blanket with others it becomes something else entirely. That warmth becomes one of solidarity and understanding, the loneliness melts away with ease. Such is the case with Katie Wighton‘s latest EP Oh-Dark-Hours.
With an incredible vocal performance and distinctive take on melancholy, Katie Wighton exudes grace on her Oh-Dark-Hours EP.
If the name sounds familiar then chances are you’ve seen Wighton with her band All Our Exes Live in Texas, and if that name sounds familiar you may know the girls form their recent tour with the Backstreet Boys (seriously). While Wighton’s group project is steeped in folk, her solo material is imbued with dark alternative-pop. Five tracks in length Oh-Dark-Hours plays with your mind and pulls at your heartstrings.
Thematically the EP is quite dark, many of the songs centre on heartbreak and the weariness of the lovelorn heart. “Though I search in strangers’ beds for what’s missing in my head” from These Bones speaks of this sentiment in volumes. It’s consumed with loneliness and confusion. We’re faced with a young woman not quite sure where she stands but knows she can’t be content standing still.
Meanwhile lead single Little Dove is consumed with regret of having to watch a love die. The drums roll while the piano drives the track to it’s crescendo and sudden finish. The song’s structure is telling of it’s story; how something so beautiful can easily be cut short.
Taking a break from the sad stuff, Wighton’s vocals are a source of light. Just as beautiful as she is, they dance and float throughout each track whilst maintaining a strong presence. They are the focal point of the EP, her voice caressing your mind like the soft hand of a lover on a warm spring afternoon. Little Dove and Lifeboat are standouts in that regard. If you like the vibes be sure to see Katie at a show, she’s even better live.
Singing about melancholy is no easy task. It’s an arduous process and one that can bog the listener down. Wighton manages to subvert this on Oh-Dark-Hours. For all the darkness she acknowledges that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a comforting thought, and it’s one put together with finesse.
