Sophia Knapp: “Into The Waves”
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The dreamy production. The pulsating bass. That airy voice. You’d be forgiven in thinking today’s song of the day is some long-lost Fleetwood Mac cut, but it’s the work of Sophia Knapp, a current artist who has a knack for pulling the listener in with just a few sung notes. On February 28, she’ll release her debut album, Into The Waves.
For Knapp, the record is her solo debut–the longtime New Yorker fronted the band Lights before the group morphed into to Cliffie Swan. Given all the changes and hard-to-Google band names, Into The Waves is Knapp’s clearest statement yet. It draws on the aforementioned ’70s pop sounds while also dipping into acoustic folk, all presented with clarity and ease.
She received assists from some high-profile guests: Bob Brockman, a longtime session bassist who’s worked with TLC, Mary J. Blige, and Cee-Lo; and Austin’s resident baritone bard Bill Callahan. Those two might look odd on paper, but it’s a testament to Knapp’s songwriting skill that she’s able to bring all these different sensibilities together. You can hear it for yourself in the album’s dark highlight, “Into The Waves.” Even though the song threatens to submerge at any time, Knapp keeps it floating right along.
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