Brooklyn-based artist Sarah Khatami has poured her heart into her debut album, stalemate, released on June 21, 2024. Produced by Dave Fugel, his emotionally charged record, driven by her first heartbreak gives you the most vulnerable shard of Sarahโs candid songwriting and storytelling.
stalemate opens with a smooth, catchy vibe, โsave a lil sunlight for me,โ featuring Sarahโs soulful vocals singing catchily over a ticking beat and dreamy, bluesy guitars. The lyrics capture the confusion and longing of a fading relationship, asking for just a little more light in the darkness of emotional turmoil.
โhope You Knowโ showcases Sarahโs grainy, introspective voice ruminating over soothing, immersive music and enchanting harmonies. The song delves into the complexities of love and regret, with lyrics reflecting a heartfelt apology and acknowledgement of past mistakes.
The albumโs title track, โstalemate,โ features steady beats and melodic guitars, with Sarahโs voice gliding sonorously over dreamy melodies. The lyrics depict a relationship at an impasse, with the partners stuck in a cycle of giving and not receiving. The bridge, highlighted by a majestic brass solo, adds a layer of sophistication to the song.
stalemate ends eleventh, coinciding the date of her anniversary, with the slow, gentle piano ballad, โi sold the couch(on and on).โ The melancholic piano and violin wails complement Sarahโs most affecting vocal performance. She sings of the pain and acceptance of letting go, using the metaphor of selling a couch to symbolize departing with the memories and accepting the end of a relationship.
Listen to Sarah Khatamiโs increasingly intimate album, stalemate on Spotify.
KEEP IN TOUCH:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | SPOTIFY | TIKTOK | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Photo Credit: Carl Rickard, Maryam Khatami, Holy Smoke Photography
Review by Naomi Joan