Review: Sasha Atlas rises and falls with ‘Howl’ EP package

Sasha Atlas resolves to fiercely go where she never thought possible. “Howl” is a deep-chested rallying cry about overcoming adversity and confronting those things that keep slithering inside your bones. “Close our eyes, breathe in the night air while you’re alone,” she sings, her voice barely a whisper as it wafts over a rhythmic and reedy baseline.

She snarls her lips, grits her teeth, and strikes a heroine’s pose. “Aren’t you afraid of the dark?” she ponders. It’s a rather rhetorical inquiry but one that roots the song in place. The way she smooths out the melody with her voice is haunting, almost tortured as she collects up her past and combs through the present as a way to find her footing beneath her. She might be standing strong and resolute now, but it hasn’t always been that way.

“Howl” is appropriately packed with a “drumless” version, as well as sped-up and slowed-down iterations. Each setpiece gives a stunning new light to the song. It might be less inventive than it is simply following a trend among pop’s biggest stars, yet it illuminates Atlas’ talents as one of today’s finest rising stars.

With the accompanying visual, above, Atlas embraces her inner “beast,” as she sings, beneath a glowing full moon. She plants her feet within a crystalline cityscape, with red fusion light decorating her shoulders. Directed by Jonny Servais, the music video bursts with color and style to give the lyrics further texture and style. “Will you kill tonight?” she asks, as the video pulsates with colorful intensity. In embracing her animalistic side, Sasha Atlas emerges as a soul-hungry siren who won’t and can’t be stopped.

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