Sometimes tender but also rather fierce, the new single from Salt Lake City-based singer/songwriter Josaleigh Pollett is absolutely mesmerising.
Imagine Phoebe Bridgers and Low collaborating on a cover version of a song from Digital Ash In A Digital Urn, and you’re somewhere in the vicinity of where The Witness resides.
Glitchy, frantic, and fevered, the instrumentation is disarming, striking, and unique. Acoustic guitars glisten over the top of (or perhaps behind?) the noise made by agitated electronic devices. We’re reminded at the same time of both labelmate Avery Freeman and St. Vincent (who, incidentally, Pollett has previously shared a bill with).
It swirls and spirals and swells and spins, taking you to places that you don’t often go. It feels warm and emotive, but at the same time, cold, clinical, and closed off. Full of contradictions and contrasts, The Witness is a powerful piece of work.
The full album – If I Let It Quiet – is due to be released on July 24th via Audio Antihero and Lavender Vinyl and will be accompanied by a tour across Western America, and with prior backing from NPR, Gorilla vs Bear, Under The Radar, and Swim Into The Sound – 2026 is shaping up to be a good year for Josaleigh.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
