Common Holly When I Say To You Black Lightning

Holding fast to the emotional honesty of 'Playing House' (2017), Common Holly's sophomore record, 'When I say to you Black Lightning' is a look outward; an exploration of the ways in which we all experience pain, fear and self-delusion, and how we can learn to confront those feelings with boldness. Common Holly is the one woman project of Montreal's Brigitte Naggar, who has been profiled in Stereogum, BUST, Billboard and more.The new record is more experimental than her debut. It is rougher, looser, louder and more atonal. It feels edgy, but still kind. 'When I say to you Black Lightning' ditches fear without losing vulnerability, and trades in sadness for the healing powers of anger, and the strength of observing, recognizing and confronting through its nine labyrinthian yet catchy tracks, shaped sonically by the seriously unique visions of Devon Bate, Hamish Mitchell, and Naggar herself, the album observes the complexities of mental health, the precarity of life, and the challenges of finding strength in the face of grave misunderstanding.