Recorded in 2020 amongst the backdrop of the global pandemic, upcoming sophomore album Me And The Machine by Mimi Raver charts the highs and lows of the human condition in extraordinary circumstances. Written, performed and engineered in Raver’s home studio dubbed “Room 8”, the project was recorded reel to reel on analog tape to preserve the raw, unaltered state of the tracks.
Following the titular track, Mimi Raver is premiering today her latest single, “Easier,” on HighClouds.
“Dealing with death and the pain that can stick with you for years after,” “Easier” is moody in tone and vocally heartbreaking. Prologued by a fuzzy, echoing guitar riff, Mimi Raver’s stark vocals open “Easier” with the gut a punching line: “Hey it’s me/Are you still listening?/It’s been thirteen years this spring/And the wound still stings”.
The track is sprinkled with simple, frank and beautifully haunting lyrics, charting the empty space left by a loved one in death. The open lament of “I miss you, I miss you/I love you, I love you,” as well as the repeated chorus, encapsulate unending grief, the inability to move on no matter how much time has passed.
To describe such a difficult emotional state, Mimi Raver doesn’t show off. The track isn’t needlessly poetic or contrived. Instead, it soars due to its honesty and Raver’s ability to put a name on her feelings, boiling her grief down to a simple sentiment; I miss you, I love you and it doesn’t get “Easier”. Listen below before it goes live on streaming platforms tomorrow and pre-order the album via Bandcamp.