Karen Harding – Anxiety (2021)
With her single ‘I Didn’t Realise’, Karen Harding had us feeling heart-wrenching pain before carefully coaxing us to heal. Now, she unleashes a different sound with her single ‘Anxiety’. Aimed at starting a genuine and open conversation about anxiety and the experience many people have, the single offers a helping hand while acknowledging the struggles many face.
While Harding shares her experience with anxiety through the track, she also opens a discussion regarding ways to overcome the struggles we all face. Drawing on her passion and love for music, she carefully crafts the opening lines of a much-needed conversation into the single. Born out of the pandemic, the single is poignant and captures the struggle that many people face.
‘Anxiety’ pops into your ears with a steady beat that has a light jangle to it. There is something about this rather stripped back opening that effortlessly draws you into the single. As the track progresses, the melody gains a wash of almost ambient tones that yawns with the opening of possibilities. There are a few layers to the track that enter as individual melodic elements. As each element is added, they rest on the foundation created by the opening beats. The movement of the music changes halfway through the track for a slightly dreamy flow that warbles and reaches out into the ether.
Harding’s vocals are authentic and open as she enters the soundscape. The opening vocals line brings the feeling of anxiety to life in a gentle and easy to connect with way. While the single taps into anxiety, there is a smoothness to the vocals that works its way into your soul. This makes it so easy to relate to the track and get lost in the experience Harding is so openly showcasing. As the melody changes, the vocals become ethereal and airy before the melodic emotive line comes back in. Her performance is as stripped back as the melody which adds further poignancy to the message.
Karen Harding softly and smoothly draws you into experiencing anxiety and slowly working through it in the aptly titled ‘Anxiety’. The single has a stripped back feeling that allows the emotions of the track to really shine. The openness of the vocals provides an easy connection and creates a feeling of safety.
Find out more about Karen Harding on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
