Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - Undertow (2025) [Hi-Res]

London-based composer and singer-songwriter Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi released her debut album, Undertow, which is characterized by a dark yet intimate and expansive ambience expressing stark vulnerability. The album, which features voice and cello as its bedrock, explores themes of memory, grief, growth, and connection, shaped by the processing of trauma and a personal acclimation of sensuality. Hansen-Knarhoi utilizes the cello, considered the closest instrument to the voice, to create a corporeal and intuitive sound, where spontaneity and emotional truth take precedence over traditional structures. Undertow's lyrics address violence against women and the journey from fear to absolution. The cello performances, informed by improvisation, sonically embody the emotional undercurrents of the lyrics. Collaborating with Brooklyn producer Randall Dunn, the album delves into an abstract, dissociative space with cinematic intensity. Hansen-Knarhoi's Western Australian origins and her early teenage poetry practices established the foundation of her folk storytelling. Undertow reflects these stark landscapes, utilizing a sonic landscape that occasionally incorporates field recordings. The track “Crying in Pastel” showcases a raw and gritty vocal performance against a hypnotic harp and bass, expressing coexisting feelings of anger, fear, and sadness within grief. The album represents a transitory state and evolution, rooted in a hope for connection and healing, and in a pre-linguistic consciousness that brings listeners back to raw emotional experience.

Tracklist:
1-1 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - Dust [4:02]
1-2 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - Crying in Pastel [3:44]
1-3 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - All the things that aren't you [3:54]
1-4 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - My Mother and Me [3:55]
1-5 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - Undertow [4:39]
1-6 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - Louder Than A Whisper [4:53]
1-7 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - Brave [4:17]
1-8 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - Moving In Denial [3:23]
1-9 Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi - Afraid [4:40]