Versatile singer-songwriter Charlotte Wessels (ex-Delain) has unveiled her brand new single titled “The Crying Room” along with a gripping music video featuring footage of her first-ever live performance of the song.
“The Crying Room” is the next forerunner to Wessels’ first full-length traditional solo album with the full band, The Obsession, due for release on September 20th via Napalm Records. The track reveals another touching facet of this sonic masterpiece, which on the one hand explores themes of anxiety, obsession and escapism, but also includes songs that approach the subject matter in a more optimistic way. “The Crying Room” explores this anxiety, while a weeping guitar solo draws the listener into darker soundscapes.
On The Obsession, Charlotte Wessels adds plenty of bombast to her genre-bending songwriting, as captivating melancholy and dark catchy tunes meet progressive and harder melodies. The storytelling within the songs gives the multifaceted album even more depth and makes The Obsession an exciting listening experience and Wessels’ most mature solo work to date.
Charlotte Wessels on “The Crying Room”: “As we were preparing for the very first gig under my own name post-Covid, my tour manager asked me if I wanted my own dressing room. Even though I knew full well I would be a nervous wreck, I told her I didn’t need a private room – just a place where I could have a well-deserved nervous breakdown without ruining everyone’s mood. And that, my friends, is how ‘The Crying Room’ was born. It’s a song about the fear of failure, about having to take a breath before diving headfirst into something new. Everyone loves to tell stories of bravery and heroism, but let’s be honest: I want to hear more stories about people who are absolutely terrified… and still go through with it – that’s a central theme of the album, and ‘The Crying Room’ is an invitation to do just that.”
Watch the captivating music video for “The Crying Room”:
While Charlotte Wessels still writes and produces the songs in her home studio in the basement of Six Feet Under and shares her first versions with her patrons, she now takes the songs on her new album The Obsession to the next level with a band consisting of her former Delain colleagues Timo Somers (guitar, additional arrangements), Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije (bass) and Joey Marin de Boer (drums) as well as Sophia Vernikov (piano/Hammond) contributing to the new, harder sound. The album also features arrangements by Vikram Shankar (Silent Skies, Pain of Salvation), cello by Elianne Anemaat, was mixed by Guido Aalbers (Muse, Coldplay, The Gathering) and mastered by Andy VanDette (Porcupine Tree, VOLA, Dream Theater).
Charlotte Wessels on the new album: “On the one hand, this album tells a very personal story – through its unintentional theme of anxiety, obsessions and escaping from them – and at the same time it represents the joy of finding the true forms of the song with everyone who was involved in the creation of this record. That’s why I chose The Obsession as the title. It refers to my personal challenges with OCD, which inspired many of the songs – but I also started referring to the band as The Obsession – because there were moments in the studio with them that really reminded me why I’m obsessed with making music in the first place.”
Themes of anxiety, obsessions and escapism are ever-present on the album, presented in a dark and heavy way in songs like “The Exorcism”, “The Crying Room” and “Ode To The West Wind” (feat. Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy). In addition, there are songs that offer a more optimistic approach to the subject matter – like “Dopamine” (feat. Simone Simons of Epica), which deals with SSRI-induced numbness, or “Praise”, which sings about needing external validation to feel anything. The reinterpretation of fan-favorite “Soft Revolution” leaves no dry eye in the air, while “Soulstice” and “Serpentine” present an unprecedented dark sensuality. Each song itself functions like an exorcism, an attempt to exorcise a little of the anxiety it deals with.
Charlotte Wessels on the guests: “I am extremely grateful and proud to have Simone Simons and Alissa White-Gluz on board for this album. They are creative powerhouses that I greatly appreciate and respect. It is always an absolute pleasure when we work together and they really took the songs to a new level with their performances.”
The Obsession will be available in the following formats:
– Gatefold 2-Vinyl Splatter + 2 bonus tracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended”), D-side etched – limited to 200 copies worldwide *Napalm Records Mailorder Only*
– Gatefold 2-Vinyl Recycled Black + 2 bonus tracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended”), etched D-side
– Gatefold 2-Vinyl Inkspot + 2 bonus tracks (“Backup Plan” + “Breathe; Extended”), D-Side Etched *Patreon Exclusive*
– Digisleeve + shirt package
– Digisleeve
– Digital Album
Pre-order here.
Tracklist of The Obsession:
“Chasing the sunsets”
“Dopamine”
“The Exorcism”
“Salvation of the soul”
“The Crying Room”
“Ode to the West Wind”
“Serpentine”
“Praise”
“Everything you are”
“Strength and courage”
“Breathe”
“Soft Revolution (2024)”
Video “Dopamine”:
Video “Chasing Sunsets”:
Video “The Exorcism”:
(Photo – Tim Tronckoe – Design by Nina Mathijsen at takeadetour.eu)
