Single Review: Narcissus

Opening up on her revealing new single Narcissus, artist Samantha Jane is headed down a new path of musical and sonic vulnerability.

Narcissus is a moody indie number with alternative rock and pop embellishments. Its first half is intentionally sparse, focused on the shuddering electric guitar beneath Samantha Jane’s delicate vocals. Things pick up following the chorus, drawing upon light percussion to carry a beat and flesh out the sound, whilst still focusing on the songwriting above all else. Whilst Narcissus could certainly be more dynamic in its latter half, the simple instrumentation does highlight Jane’s sincere confidence in her story of “taking back her power”.

There are some impressive quips within the lyrics, such as the stunningly visual ”If I reached under those ribs, would a heart even be there?”. The central analogy of the Greek mythological figure works fairly well. Although there is some mixing of metaphors that muddies the story somewhat, the song’s emotional core makes it all work.

It’s clear Samantha Jane is a promising songwriter with strong lyrical and melodic proficiency. As her sound and brand steadies, she’ll be a thrilling new Aotearoa act to follow.