LA artist Sophia James’ new EP Clockwork features seven amazing songs, and the one that I find absolutely astounding is “Heat Death (The End Of Everything)”. The song starts with a perfectly timed wah-wah part that would make Jimi Hendrix envious, then culminates in Sophia’s overdubbed vocals that collectively sound like a gospel choir. It’s the most musically riveting song I’ve heard this year.
Says Sophia: “I sang in a lot of choirs growing up and have always felt that conveying a message as a group is exponentially more powerful than attempting to do it by yourself. So for the end of ‘Heat Death’, I wanted to include that group choral sound over the words “meet me at the end of everything” to really emphasize the sense of desperate hope set forth by the narrator.”
One of Sophia’s biggest musical influences is fellow UCLA grad Sara Bareilles. But James’ voice defies comparisons because she can shift gears from jazzy to soulful in a heartbeat. Another standout song on Clockwork is “Circadian Rhythm” – a soaring, sophisticated anthem that deserves to be a monster radio hit.
Sophia is the Greek word for wisdom, and if you’re wise you’ll immediately check out every note this artist has ever recorded.
Listen to “Heat Death (The End Of Everything)” below, or find the full Clockwork EP on the streaming services.
