New Haven-based folk singer-songwriter Aster Rhys captivates with her latest release, “Crossroads,” the second single from her upcoming EP Four Directions. Rich with spiritual undertones and atmospheric storytelling, “Crossroads” is a haunting and introspective exploration of fate, life, and the pivotal moments that shape our futures.
“Crossroads” opens with the eerie sounds of crows cawing and birds chirping, setting a mystical tone and providing visual imagery of a natural landscape. This naturalism gives way to a haunting guitar melody and jittery percussion that pulses underneath the instrumentation. As the mysterious arrangement of flutes, acoustic guitar, drums, bass, and accordion unfolds, all woven together into a lush folk mood, Rhys’ deep, powerful voice emerges.
Singing with a breathy, passionate delivery, Rhys commands the listener’s attention with a dramatic and theatrical flair. Her vocal performance winds through the track with ease, blending gravitas and storytelling in her full voice as she sings about embarking on a life-altering adventure: “Tonight we ride, we go to the crossroads.”
Inspired by a personal story of reconnection, “Crossroads” was inspired by a long romantic separation, and it led to the singer prodding about how we have multiple choices ahead of us, with each holding endless possibilities for a future. With these choices ahead, we are left with our intuition born from our ancestral memory and wisdom to take us to where we belong.
As part of her broader Four Directions EP, “Crossroads” represents the element of Air, that is completely suspended and is dispersed with no shape or size with consequences as fierce as gentle. Listen to the poetically rich “Crossroads” by Aster Rhys on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan