Sophia St. Helen - “Radio Silence”
Photo by Mariza Kapsabeli
From the San Francisco Bay area, singer-songwriter Sophia St. Helen has completely blown us away with the melancholic and reflective sounds of “Radio Silence.”
St. Helen’s craft has been fashioned by the inspiration of a myriad of artists, from Fleetwood Mac to Adrianne Lenker, but “Radio Silence” also encompasses a fervor akin to Florence Welch, which is exactly why it has won us over. And absolutely no time is wasted here, with St. Helen beginning her emotionally-charged vocal duties immediately– cast above the raw and somber chords of a piano, the lyrics traverse the depths of loneliness and the longing to be heard– a cathartic subject matter that is bound to resonate with many listeners.
As “Radio Silence” progresses, the arrangement gradually expands to include wide guitar chords and a gently pulsating rhythm that allows the track to effortlessly and naturally crescendo, all while maintaining a vulnerability and intimacy that enters the ears as though a private performance. St. Helen’s voice does not utilize any modern/ digital production tactics– she truly does not need them; instead, she leans into her natural talent, unearthing a soul-stirring number that will stay with you long after it has ended.
In addition to the auxiliary vocal textures that arrive over the song’s duration, “Radio Silence” also possesses supporting contributions from various artists; once the track had been put to tape, St. Helen enlisted Alexandros Livitsanos to compose a string arrangement, which was then performed by Migen Selmani (violin) and Michael Porfyris (cello). And we would be remiss not to show appreciation for Dimitris Stasinos who not only produced the tune, but also performed guitars, keyboards, and percussion, as well as for Vasilis Nissopoulos (bass) and Sotiris Mavronasios (drums). All of these fine ingredients were carefully mixed by Vasilis Alexopoulos, then lovingly mastered by Nick Townsend.
To be quite clear, “Radio Silence” is one of the best songs we’ve heard all year, and we are quite confident that you will feel the same as soon as you press that play button. If you happen to be searching for the soundtrack to the devastation of absolute heartbreak, this track is a must-add for that particular playlist– or simply listen to it on a constant loop, just like we’ve been doing ever since we found it. In any case, “Radio Silence” is now available everywhere and you can connect with Sophia St. Helen here: Instagram | Spotify | Facebook | TikTok | Bandcamp | Website
-HD