“We have a deficit of wonder,” one of our greatest living philosophers, Tom Waits, noted back in 2004. “I think it’s because of computers. When I ask people questions now, they get on their computer—‘Gimme a few minutes and I’ll let ya know…’ And I’m like, ‘Noooooo!’ I want ’em to wonder about it, man! I don’t wanna know the answer—I just want ’em to wonder about it.”
Such is the magic Asheville-based songwriter Alexa Rose strives to elicit in her latest single “Where the Magic Lives,” the first track to be shared from her newly announced third album Atmosphere. Following a set of collaborations with Matt Pond PA, the track takes a much more conventional approach to folk music than what Waits has always tended to exhibit, though the four-minute Americana cut rooted in the sounds of Appalachia is equally full of wonder.
“Have you ever been in some situation you should be enjoying, but somehow just can’t?” she queries, introducing the track. “It’s happened to me at the best concerts and under the starriest skies. For years I’ve been trying to figure out how to be more present in the moment despite the way the modern world begs us to dilute our attention.”
Strengthening the link between her lyrics’ inspiration and Waits’ cultural critique, she continues: “This song is about fighting to find enchantment again, and making peace with the time that feels lost. I was thinking a lot about growing up in the early aughts, before I always had a phone in my pocket, and how I felt a curiosity about the world that couldn’t be answered with a quick Google search. Sometimes I think leaving a little mystery is what we need to be able to run towards those dreams, to let ourselves bask in a question before we know the answer.”
Recorded in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and stripped down to reflect the rawness of the tragedy, Atmosphere surely lives up to its name. The album was recorded at the Sylvan Esso–founded studio Betty’s with a backing band featuring members of Twain, Dr. Dog, Langhorne Slim, and more, with production helmed by The Dead Tongues’ Ryan Gustafson. Check out the upbeat first glimpse of the album below.
