Shannon Wright
Indie Rock / Alternative
You might be tempted to compare Shannon Wright to whatever ingénue’s tearing up the internet at the moment or some other gal with a guitar and something to say. That’s missing the point, though. After four solo records on Quarterstick, as well as her earlier work with Florida’s Crowsdell, Shannon’s been around the block a few times, each time growing stronger and more sincere, and that’s what makes her different. She takes the clarity and artistic sensibility of Lou Reed, mixes them with the subdued simplicity of Erik Satie and the explosive abilities of Jimmy Page, and emerges as her own artist.
Each record has further emancipated her from buzz-worthy tropes and tired musical gimmickry. With each stanza, she seems to get stronger, to become increasingly sure of herself, and of her message. Let in the Light is for grey skies and quiet moments, for furtive emotions and uncompromising catharsis. The songs are coming from a truly honest place.
With production by Andy Baker and Kyle Crabtree (Shipping News) handling the drum kit, Let in the Light is the culmination of three years of work for Shannon. With the exception of the drums and bass, she plays all the instruments on this album. On Over the Sun, Shannon was focused on blending and creating new guitar sounds, challenging herself to play differently than she’d ever heard before. This time, and more than on any of her previous records, she focused on the piano – an instrument on which she’s completely self-taught. With Let in the Light, Shannon finally lets herself go and allows the time and emotional space to create the record she really wanted to make. It’s earnest and sympathetic, open and vulnerable. It’s her most revealing work yet.
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