British singer and producer Phil Simmonds created the art project Navah Sea, which he has been releasing music under for the last year. His most recent single, “fortress,” marks his eighth single of the year, and it’s truly a lullaby for all with soothing texturized vocals sewn into the soft melody.
His previous single, a collaboration with Beso Balma, had a totally different sonic setting, so he’s truly showing the versatility of his music in “fortress.” While comfortably falling within the same genre realm, the vocals in “fortress” could only be described as haunting. The layered, echoed harmonies and charming acoustic guitar create a raw but welcoming musical environment for the listener.
The song lyrically speaks to the concept of finding your happy place within yourself, even within the turmoil of one’s own mind. The softly sung lyrics, “here we are being lonely / don’t forget the worries in my mind / caught in a fortress,” serve as that gentle reminder that these are human emotions and you can take comfort in that fact. The song is lyrically vulnerable, so paired with the vocal-driven focus, it runs parallel to the overall tones of the track.
“fortress” is a great example the genuine artistic depth Navah Sea has. The track does a great job of not only exploring emotional vulnerability in the lyrics, but also of creating a musical safe haven for listeners by inviting them to feel all the emotions along with him. He’s continuing to show his versatility as a producer and artist by uniquely carving out a space for himself by blending genres and exploring different sounds from one track to hte next. This type of versatility will resonate with an even larger audience.
