Brighton-based CIEL continue their streak of dream-pop poignancy with the release of their new single “Never Alone Again”. Tapping into the melancholic lyricism of frontwoman Michelle Hindriks, “Never Alone Again” sees the musician explore her fear of reliving darker previous life experiences.
“It’s quite scary to me to release this song into the world as the lyrics are very personal and intimate,” Hindriks explained. “I never really speak much about these feelings from the past to people around me — even close friends. But it’s the reason why this song feels really close and honest to me. It’s a part of my life’s story. I think it’s important to actually be able to speak about these subjects more openly in our society.”
Nevertheless, the song’s lyrics came quickly to Hindriks: “Sometimes I spend quite a long time crafting the lyrics for a certain song. This wasn’t the case for ‘Never Alone Again’. The lyrics were just there, like they appeared out of nowhere, but they were accurately reflecting my feelings at the time.”
“I don’t know why it’s so hard to be here,” Hindriks ponders to herself over and over throughout the song. Her ethereal vocals and the band’s well-formed sound — glazed guitar work and soft percussion that contributed to the band’s early promise and mystique — are just as prominent on their latest track, calling up bands like Cults and Alvvays in the process.
“Never Alone Again” follows CIEL’s previously acclaimed singles “All My Life” and “Pretty Face”.
Listen to “Never Alone Again” below:
