Discovering the “Untold Her”
Lindsey Stirling is a shapeshifting superwoman whose power is playing the violin. She is a fierce musician, songwriter, and dancer who has created a genre of her own; one that merges classical string elements with modern electronic dubstep. Stirling has been evolving this sound since 2012 when she released her first self-titled album, Lindsey Stirling. Years before, in 2007, she started creating YouTube videos that showcased her array of talents and interests. In her bio she wrote, “I love to play the violin, dance, write music, edit videos, play dress up, and perform. So, I combined it all together and this is what happened.”
Her YouTube page, as well as her quarter-finalist position on 2010 America’s Got Talent, are the two notable birthplaces for Stirling’s career. From then on, she has built a discography of sound and a catalogue of characters that rely on each other for the purpose of storytelling. A new character and storyline is revealed in each extravagant music video, the most recognized being her old western musical shoot out for the song “Roundtable Rival” off of Shatter Me.
The latest album Duality, reveals a new side of Stirling, an “Evil Twin” or “Untold Her” with an apparent dark side. She guides listeners on a wave of crescendos that become the soundtrack for her antihero.
Stirling is skilled at evoking emotion with instrumental dynamics alone. However, her albums have a history of sprinkling in a few vocal pieces. Track six, “Purpose,” is driven by Stirling’s violin jig and accented with guitar power chords. Her lyrics are simple, but emphasized with repetition, “You see far, I see ya.” Stirling seems to realize that her purpose does not align with someone she cares about.
Duality includes two features, “Inner Gold (Feat. Royal & the Serpent)” and “Survive (Feat. Walk Off The Earth.)” Both tracks are vocal heavy, with melodies traced by Stirling’s strings. “Inner Gold” involves polyrhythmic plucking and deep downbeats that encourage a quick vocal cadence by Royal & the Serpent. The hook on “Survive” mimics the 1978 classic “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. Although the rest of the track is its own, the energy matches Gaynor’s disco pulse. Using her weapon, Stirling mirrors Walk Off The Earth’s vocals with layers of violin harmonies.
“Evil Twin” is the perfect opening track for Duality, building tension with vocal “ahhhs” and a definitive Stirling dubstep. Its music video gives life to two opposing forces as well as the balance between them. Without one, the other cannot exist. Duality as a whole does a good job at acknowledging both; ballads like “Serenity Found” are contrasted by the rampant wildness found in “Untamed,” “The Scarlet Queen” and “Eye Of The Untold Her.”
“Firefly Alley” and “Les Fées” — a French term meaning “the fairies” — both take flight, one from a roaring fire and the other from a pop fantasy land. Duality gives listeners a transformative purpose, a boundless freedom to explore all sides of the self. No matter who that is, the opportunity for imagination is universal.
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