Within the first few seconds of ‘Whistle Blow,’ the opening track of Rachael Sage’s 15th studio album, ‘The Other Side,’ all outside pressures and tension disappear, and you are mentally teleported into a tranquil scene of sitting on the porch, with a sunset glazing the sky.
Sage’s soothing vocals offer a safe space for her own trials and tribulations and for others whose world has been set on fire. Record in 2022, in a time of back-to-back shows alongside Imelda May and Howard Jones, Rachael Sage found shelter in composing new reflective sonic capsules of reinvented classic retro 70s and 80s arrangements.
On the 15-track journey, Sage’s transcriptions of her latest experiences and thought-provoking, poignant messaging are composing her most grounded work yet. The title track, and Sage’s favorite song of the record, delves into the idea of love more than romance. She says: “It’s more about connecting with both yourself – your inner sense of freedom and authenticity – and your loved-one(s), without judgment and with a sense of unconditional acceptance”.
In a time of crisis, during a time when Rachael Sage the world and her personal life were burning, she once again proved ‘music is the ultimate healer’; she elaborates on the process of recording ‘The Other Side’:
“This record is starker than my previous work, and less afraid to look fear in the eye or give fate the finger. When I wrote the song ‘The Other Side’, I was separating from someone I still loved very much, while a family member had just been diagnosed with a serious illness, requiring me to be fully present to help them through it… The world seemed to be burning, but the grace of friends, loved ones, and a beautiful creative community I found in upstate NY carried me through. The song is essentially a gospel plea for a more forgiving future and for peaceful liberation beyond a time of crisis.”
With Sage’s timeless songwriting and hope-invoking vocal arrangements, ‘The Other Side’ is bound to soundtrack late Summer nights and early Autumn family Sundays. Its universality is undeniable, and Sage’s creativity is inspiring.
Listen to ‘The Other Side’ out now.
