Erika Levy - “Berlin”
Photo by David Jowhari
From Los Angeles, California, singer-songwriter Erika Levy has returned to us with “Berlin,” a song about falling in love after believing it would never happen again.
Most of us have been there, sifting through the remains of ourselves after the whirlwind of heartache, wondering if we will ever be able muster the energy required to do it all over again. But thanks to “Berlin,” this turmoil now has somewhat of an upbeat, yet gritty soundtrack, beginning with a barebones rhythm and a swelling, synth-saturated ambience.
It does not take long for Levy to emerge with that raw, Sharon Van Etten-esque vocal delivery that initially made us such loyal fans of her craft. Straight out of the gate, Levy offers listeners a reasonably broad scope of her talent, with dynamic, breathy bursts of an emotionally-charged falsetto, allowing each word to find your ears with an authentic sense of heart-on-the-sleeve vulnerability.
By thirty second in, the rest of the band arrives, with the drums expanding to a fully-fleshed beat, accompanied, of course, by a driving, hypnotic bass line and multiple textures of guitars. On the refrain, a lower vocal harmony widens the production, forming an ear worm that will surely have you coming back to “Berlin” for multiple listens.
Just past midpoint, Levy imbues the track with a brief, intimate break down, adding a marvelous weight to the return of the elements on the back half. And by the time “Berlin” reaches its conclusion, there are so many layers of guitars and vocals that it is quite difficult not to get lost in the obvious elation of newfound love. We hope you enjoy this one as much as we do.