Bess Atwell - “The Weeping”

SXSW 2024 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Nilufer Yanya, Sharon Van Etten, Weyes Blood

Bess Atwell shared a couple tracks in 2023 to follow up her debut LP Already, Always, delicacy continuing to be the key tenet around her spacious tales. “The Weeping”, a track produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, is her deepest step into country territory and it fits her music snugly. Emotive without being overdone, Atwell’s songwriting strengths continue to bloom in  classic traditions. There are slight, synth-led textures on other 2023 single “Sylvester” that broaden her Americana core as well, a balance that Atwell has mastered leading into whatever she has planned for 2024. (Kevin McStravick)

2022 Review: UK artist Bess Atwell followed up her debut EP Big Blue in 2021 with full-length Already, Always, a strong continuation of emotive performance and heart-worn songwriting. Note how Atwell is letting a little more space in her music here while still dipping into chillwave and building instrumentation for a well-rounded sound (“All You Can Do”, “How Do You Leave”). These tangents add nicely to Atwell’s base sound that could be unraveled to just an acoustic guitar and her beautiful, low vocals and still hold strong.