Full Review

Abby Sage, Milk Review

Delving into Abby Sage’s “Milk” is like stepping into a mist-shrouded garden at dawn, where every dewdrop is a note, and the waking blooms are verses waiting to be sung. Sage, a chanteuse who has crafted her own niche within the alt/pop soundscape, beckons us into her latest auditory odyssey—a single that foreshadows the emotional and sonic breadth of her anticipated debut album, set to grace our ears in the spring of 2024.

The track unfurls with the gentle intimacy of an acoustic guitar, its subtle strumming setting a serene stage. It’s as though we’re witnessing the first brushstrokes on a canvas, strokes that promise to burgeon into a journey of the melody’s story. Abby’s voice, a diaphanous veil of sound, swathes the listener in layers of harmonic hues, interlacing vulnerability with strength, as if each layer is a translucent petal of her vocal range, coming together to form a blooming flower of sound.

The masterful production by MyRiot, comprising the formidable duo of Roy Kerr and Tim Bran, serves as the alchemist’s touch, transforming already potent elements into a potion of pure auditory gold. Their history of work with artists like Halsey and London Grammar speaks of their nuanced craft, which, when merged with Sage’s artistic vision, blurs the very contours of the genre, creating a liminal space that transcends pop and indie, dwelling in the interstices of the ethereal.

Narratively, “Milk” is a saga told in minutes, a cinematic plunge into the innocence and tumult of a childhood reimagined. Inspired by the raw reality depicted in the documentaries “Boys Alone” and “Girls Alone,” Sage parallels a realm where the unbridled spirit of childhood reigns. Through her lyrics, she constructs a world where purity meets pandemonium, echoing the dichotomies of life itself.

The song’s structure is solid in its contrast. Verses transport us back to days of unfettered youth, while the pre-chorus builds on this with a haunting repetition of queries, seeking a shared longing for times past. The chorus is the heart of this emotional expanse, a dichotomy of aching for the simplicity of the past—embodied in the line “drink my milk in my own filth”—against a longing for the elegance symbolized by “silver silk.”

Sage’s refrain, “Just hold my hand,” is the emotive core of “Milk,” encapsulating the universal human quest for connection amidst life’s chaos. This line isn’t just a request; it’s the anchoring thread in the complex fabric of her songwriting, a call that resonates with anyone who’s ever felt the pang of nostalgia or the yearning for a hand to hold through the whirlwind of growth.

To listen to “Milk” is to allow oneself a rare moment of reflection, an interlude where the past and present converge in the confluence of Sage’s musical river. As we eagerly await her full-length album’s spring arrival, “Milk” stands as a harbinger of what’s to come, promising an album that will not just echo in our ears but resonate in the chambers of our hearts.

For now, let “Milk” be the soundtrack to your introspection, allowing Abby Sage’s lustrous melodies to enfold you, and prepare to be transformed by her upcoming full-length album—a narrative we’ve only just begun to unravel. That’s the short of it!