Barbie Almalbis Finds Freedom From Pain In “Desperate Hours” – Listen
The track serves as the first single from the veteran singer-songwriter’s upcoming fifth studio album, set to be released by the end of 2024.
Barbie Almalbis: courtesy of NYOU Consultancy. Photographed by Niña Sandejas
Barbie Almalbis: courtesy of NYOU Consultancy. Photographed by Niña Sandejas
Barbie Almalbis is back with a new single.
On July 5, the veteran singer-songwriter released her latest single, “Desperate Hours,” which sees her channel the musical ideas of Bjork and Kate Bush — both of whom she describes as “very emotional writers.” The new track follows “Wicked Heart,” released last November 2023, and will serve as the first single off Almalbis’ upcoming fifth full-length album, slated to come out at the end of 2024.
In a press statement, it was revealed that Almalbis wrote the track during “a time of deep pain and longing” where she dealt with “anxiety and emotional struggles, while having a hard time figuring out where it was coming from.”
“I couldn’t understand much about what I was going through, but I knew I needed to lean on God, and also sought the help of ‘last resort’ friends like a last hope, ‘break-glass-in-case-of-emergency’ kind of friends,” shared Almalbis on the track’s lyrical inspiration. “One day, things were beginning to get better, and I had a bit of clarity. I woke up early and wrote the pre-chorus: ‘I can feel the rescuer…finally the war is over.'”
“It was actually more a song of faith, and soon enough, this struggle will indeed be over,” she elaborates further. “Then it happened that later that morning, I was doing some reading and came across Psalm 18. I was surprised to find that it was about the same topic and even used similar metaphors. It really made me feel like I was on the right track, and so the psalm became a guide to finishing the rest of the song.”
Produced by La Balls Studio‘s Nick Lazaro (Twin Lobster, MOONWLK) — who has also worked with the likes of Clara Benin and BP Valenzuela, the new single sees Almalbis and Lazaro experimenting with “unconventional guitar riffs, loose structures, and oddly charming noises, while showcasing an uncompromising vision that’s far from anything that Almalbis has released so far”.
“I’ve dreamt of doing something like this for years but didn’t have the knowledge and courage, so meeting Nick has been a godsend, because producing this way is something that seems to come so easily for him,” stated Almalbis on working with Lazaro on the track. “It’s also a lot of work. He made me sing hard, do crow sounds, explosions, portamentos, and ‘witchy’ voices, and though it felt a little weird at times, I think it actually sounds good in context.”
In other news, Almalbis co-headlined the Mist Music Festival, held last June 22 to 23 in Toronto, Canada. She also recently collaborated with indie-folk quintet Munimuni on the song entitled “Tupa,” the final track from the band’s latest album Alegorya, released last May 8. She is also set to join them as a special guest for the band’s third major concert, happening on July 20.
Listen to Barbie Almalbis’ “Desperate Hours” below: