SINGLE REVIEW: Libby Ackerman – Window Seat

Cotswolds born and Liverpool based, Libby Ackerman has been hard at work crafting her jazzy yet innovative style across recent years, seeing traction from local BBC radio shows, and enrapturing audiences in multiple local performances. With her latest single, this effort shows, with a phenomenal performance that truly makes her stand out among the crowd.

‘Window Seat’ is a beautifully melancholic track, with minimalistic but elegant instrumentation that consists of little more than softly echoing guitars and a gentle, swinging percussion. Ackerman cuts a listless, weary figure, with a voice that is nothing less than sonic velvet to your ears; it’s impossible not to image her gazing out across the Liverpool skyline as she softly ruminates over a lost love.

‘It’s all the same/The same shit every day’ Ackerman ponders, capturing a sense of being trapped in a timeless limbo, her lyricism embodying a powerful but tired yearning, a longing that refuses to be fulfilled. As opposed to vocal acrobatics, Ackerman keeps things simple, soulful, and deeply melodic. It’s a performance that is frankly a little magical.

Ben Redhead gently weaves reverb soaked guitar melodies beneath Ackerman’s vocals, whilst Sam Mainard comes in at the half way point to summon a rousing percussive performance that culminates in a climax of distantly rippling cymbals as the track drifts away. Beneath it all, Janessa Juarez is a slow, steady presence in the form of an understated but impactful bass performance, whilst, on keys, Niamh Muller intermittently provides extra details that twinkle in the serene soundscape. 

‘Window Seat’ is, from all parties involved, a phenomenal performance that truly embodies the magic of ‘less is more’. Richly produced, fantastically executed, and beautifully delivered, ‘Window Seat’ is deserving of a place on your playlists (and a rainy window to gaze out of whilst listening to it). 

For Fans Of: Duffy, Phoebe Bridges, Amy Winehouse, Ruby J

Featured photo credit belongs to samstakingpics.

Follow the artist on social media via the links below:

Instagram // Spotify