The guitar begins strumming and the listener feels themselves settling into this emotional prism that is “Addicted. The narrator feels a devotion to the pain the relationship brings. The music is all-encompassing as the narrator opens their wounds to show the listener the pain that they have subjected themselves to. Bamford’s airy vocals feel emblematic as if to signify the fragility of the narrator and are marvelously paired with the somber feel that the guitar crafts for the listener. Bamford sings “I’m addicted to the pain”, the emphasis placed on the word “pain” highlights the main emotion felt by the narrator, the worst kind of pain, self-inflicted. The lyrics resonate with me as a listener and persuade me to consider a time when I, too, was plagued by self-induced pain concerning a relationship.
“We were so high, but you were above me” clues the listener into the fact that the narrator held the lover in question in higher regard than themselves. At the height of the narrator’s realizations of the toxicity that is this love, the electric guitar glides in to sharpen the mood and awaken the listener to the emotional turmoil that is afoot. “I don’t know if it’s wrong or right, to feel what I’m feeling” shows how the narrator is still grappling with the gravity of this situation at hand . The narrator pulls us in deeper with the lyrics “Forget how to breathe, feel like I’m sinking”. This imagery forces the listener to symbolically also sink with the narrator and to connect on a personal level. The uncertainty of relationships can undoubtedly cause one to feel as though they are sinking, as if reality as they know it has forever been altered due to an off-putting experience with a former lover.
Bamford is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist as well as photographer. Though she now calls New York her home, Liverpool is where she was both born and grew up as well as established herself as a musician. She moved to NYC in 2018 and has been leaving her mark in North America as well ever since. In her bio she also proudly proclaims herself to be a “cat mum.” Her musical style is described as Lo-fi, Indie, Dream Pop with her crediting artists such as Phoebe Bridgers as inspiration. Her vocals have a soft vulnerability to them that allows the audience to truly deeply connect with her lyrics. Bamford currently has over 1700 followers on Facebook, 187 YouTube subscribers, as well as over 1900 followers on Instagram. You can catch Bamford on tour starting February 22nd in New York. If you find yourself “Addicted” to Bamford’s voice as I have, you can follow her journey on all of her socials below.
Written By Keiunna Thompson
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