Magic in the form of sound
Santa Ana native Lindsey Stirling came onto the radar back in 2010 on America’s Got Talent and even made it to the quarter-finals. She was dubbed “the Hip-Hop violinist” and has proclaimed that she has a love for both violin and dance, which influences the type of music she plays and creates. She is now a world-renowned violinist and songwriter with award-winning music on her roster.
Her latest album, Artemis, was introduced by the music video and song “Underground,” the first song of the album. Both do a good job of encapsulating the energy and sound that the entirety of Artemis emits: fantasy. “Underground” begins with a sad sounding melodic violin tune and eventually crescendos into a more intense, vibrant melody. The music video paints the picture of a dark fantasy world and a heroine made of light trying to combat the darkness. Essentially feeling like an otherworldly video game or a fantasy film. The album cover even depicts an anime drawing of Stirling to add onto the animated vibe Artemis carries.
There are softer songs on the album, such as “Between Twilight” that lean a bit more celestial sounding, and songs like “Artemis” that have a more haunting tone. “Foreverglow” is the first song we hear Stirling’s vocals and it adds to the courageous yet ethereal vibe of the song. One of the two features of the album is in “Love Goes On and On” featuring Amy Lee, the founder and lead singer of the band Evanescence, whose music holds notes of those fantasy themes also found in Artemis, making her the perfect voice for a song like this. The album feels like it’s telling a “hero’s journey” story from beginning to end, with certain songs playing into the grueling, dark parts of the story and others emphasizing the bright, victorious moments of the journey. The album ends with “The Upside” featuring Elle King which sounds like the upbeat pop tune at the end of a movie or in this case, the ending of the journey.
It’s evident in every note and song on the project that Stirling was inspired by all things magical and mystical. Every song sounds like it belongs in a video game or an intense battle scene in a movie. Artemis lives up to its magical title.
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