When Sarah Kinsley was a student at Columbia University in 2021, she had one of her first tastes of virality when a TikTok video she made in response to the comment, “women don’t produce music," reached millions of views. The wall-tapping and bed-thumping eventually became the foundation for the single, "Over + Under." Soon after came "The King," which became her most streamed song. Fast forward several years later, Sarah, propelled by grief, offers her debut album, Escaper, as a celestial solace to those who find their way to it. The definition of a full and passionate soundscape, the 12 tracks embody the multifaceted experiences of human connection.
"Last Time We Never Meet Again" is an incredible opener, captivating the essence of the “good” in “goodbye.” Oscillating between beauty and derision, Sarah laments and celebrates a friendship’s end. Rather than immediately sever the red string of fate in the face of this pain, she honors the sense of commitment she has towards this person by sending well wishes while simultaneously hoping to feel absolutely nothing when hearing their name. Catharsis from such change is often met with existentialism. "Realms" tours the infinite possibilities tied to the theory of the multiverse. “What if this realm is the only world where we collide?” she asks; the instrumentation is equally unrestricted and grandiose. Love transcends every part of life, and somehow Sarah has put melodies to what it is like when we let it take over us until our skin is set on fire. There’s always risk, but there are also worlds with no limits.
The Official Music Video for 'Last Time We Never Meet Again' by Sarah Kinsley
Sarah told NME that around the same time as her falling out with a close friend, another passed away. "Glint" satisfies pop-hungry listeners with swirling textures and colorful notes that cover somber lyrics about the disorientation and haunting of total loss. “There is no love lost when you stop breathing / I swear I remember everything,” she sings. "Sublime" further addresses her sorrow and begins slowly, but changes pace to something infectious. Over synths reminiscent of the 80’s, she showcases her vocals by easily jumping up and down octaves. “Wading through the depths of dark just for a taste of relief / There is light ahead of me / There is light ahead, there has to be,” she flickers in hope. "My Name Is Dancing" dares to toe the border of pop convention and is an enlightening take on the always-growing catalog of love songs. In the midst of mourning, she still flutters with a desire to be “in the feeling of love.”
"Beautiful Things" features stripped-back vocals that practically pour out of her and onto the piano. The line, “I forgot the river of your voice / And my name shimmering in it,” links to the previous track where Sarah said, “I had a name before we met / But all the letters never sat right / But on your tongue, I see them dancing / On your lips, they come alive.” Working through guilt and profound sadness is not a linear process, and this juxtaposition, this back-and-forth between light and darkness is true to that reality.
In “All About Love: New Visions,” Bell Hooks wrote, “The practice of love offers no place of safety. We risk loss, hurt, pain. We risk being acted upon by forces outside our control.” Sarah seems to completely comprehend this double-edged nature when she says, “Your love is a heart but it’s aimed like a weapon”, in "Barrel Of Love." The melancholy that resembles that of Lana Del Rey or Weyes Blood serves as a wake-up call from the oasis of escapism she created in the first quarter of the album. "Matter" picks the LP back up with traditional indie-pop; the predictability of this style being a necessary and refreshing anchor. Sarah continues the brutal imagery as she sings, “I’m doing better with your hands out / Of the knife in my back,” and in "There Was A Room" as she details, “I’d hand over my heart, tear my soul apart,” and, “I’d kill and I’d lie / Just to get a little glimpse into your mind.”
Sometimes love is so consuming that the language of violence is the only way to get close to articulating the desperation accurately. Such intensity can burst in anger when things go awry, as demonstrated in "Knights," a dynamic letter to the men who don’t live up to the title of nobility. “You might as well kill me, might as well empty me into the street," she goes. Sarah doesn’t hold back in delivering a clear message to those that “didn’t mean no harm / ‘Til they did.” It’s an unexpected turn where the sound and subject matter are in perfect sync with one another.
On the other side of all the risks of heartbreak and rage that come with wanting to love and be loved, is the reward of tenderness. "Starling" is a beautiful ode to the one-of-a-kind intimacy found in female friendship. Born from the memory of making marriage pacts with her friends, “face to face with a love of the ages,” she tenderly reflects on how big and cosmic platonic bonds are. The weight of this feeling, along with Sarah’s lower register, keeps the song grounded in the whimsical sheer luck of meeting people who fulfill the soul.
The Official Music Video for 'Starling' by Sarah Kinsley
Sarah’s classical training in piano and violin are prevalent and enchanting influences throughout the project that prove her mastery in sonic epicness, most evident in "Escaper." The finale expresses with dramatic orchestration what it would be like to believe the alternate realities that she painted in "Realms" to be possible. Returning to the core of this album she grieves, “And it gets hard / To know that you’ll go farther than a moment,” and asks, “Does it ever go back to the old ways?” Filled to the brim with personal vulnerabilities and complexities, Sarah’s urgency to carve room for love results in a loop that spirals, trying to get somewhere that doesn’t even exist. Still, by the end of the tracklist, it feels like waking up from a deep sleep in a new universe.
All artists possess the gift of experience-collecting, but not all of them have the ability to turn them into a stained-glass mural that embeds itself into the heart of its audience. What Lorde did with Melodrama, and Phoebe Bridgers with Strangers in the Alps (amongst many others) – make music so limitless and inspiring that they ignited a generation of aspiring musicians – Sarah achieves with Escaper. Her breadth of exploration is precisely balanced with quality, emotional depth, and experimentation. She has not only reached the finish line but has also secured a spot as a visionary for the age, revitalizing modern pop as we know it. This being just the beginning is a very exciting promise of what is to come from her as she continues to navigate fantastical avenues and take unexpected turns. Love, in all its forms, is the perfect muse, for it truly is boundless, and the best thing we can do is give in to it.
