Photo: Wyndham Boylan-Garnett

Cassandra Jenkins takes us on an existential tour in the ethereal travelogue “Hard Drive”

Cassandra Jenkins has lived something of a nomadic life over the last few years, having spent time on three different continents. It all feeds into her new album, An Overview On Phenomenal Nature, which arrives on February 19 through Ba Da Bing.

Following on from opening track “Michelangelo”, she has this week shared the gorgeous travelogue “Hard Drive”. Over whispering synths and loose wisps of sax, Jenkins monologues about people she’s met and the random interactions she’s had, from security guards talking about the president to bookkeepers speaking about chakras, later reminiscing about learning to drive at the age of 35. Elevating into her rich singing voice, she unfurls the realisation “the mind is just a hard drive,” perhaps a cynical way of viewing the way we collect the experiences that make up our life and personality, but in the wide vista of sounds put together on “Hard Drive” it’s an empathetic and truly captivating idea. Although only five and a half minutes long, “Hard Drive” is a deeply affecting cross-section of Jenkins’ life, and leaves you feeling like you have a good idea of who she is – yet still wanting to know more.

Cassandra Jenkins’ new album An Overview on Phenomenal Nature is out on February 19 through Ba Da Bing. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.