Taranaki comes at me again, and again I am enchanted. Crystal’s new single Westward is, in my view, her best one yet.

Complete with a promo vid filmed on the coast of the western North Island of Aotearoa at Awakino, north of the ‘Naki, Crystal brings us an ethereal number suffused with a lilting soprano right throughout. With the melody being slightly melancholic and haunting, it follows the great chord structure plucked on the acoustic – itself supported by some gorgeous, velvety strings.

The You Tube vid highlights the beauty of the coastline of this country. Its rugged beachfronts, in this case looking out over the Tasman Sea, the diversity of the flora, the weather, the volcanic sand. Nice choice.

Crystal has her own inspiration for the lyrics, based on her own life experience, but she says she’s left it flexible for you and I to choose our own meaning from it. From the EPK: “Westward is a poetic song open to interpretation from the listener. My experience with being left alone to raise my first child was the inspiration for the work. However, lyrically it is loose/free and able to be applied to different circumstances and each individual person hears their own tale told often through this song.” 

Recorded at Swamp Shack, Crystal was joined on bass by Richard Grant, and cellist Chris Lewis. The recording, mix and master goes to show just how effective a minimalist approach to orchestration can be when one has such a powerful melody as you find in this track. I mean it when I say this is her best yet. I’ve reviewed some great stuff from Crystal to date, but this one has a melancholy enchantment to it. It’s just simply compelling as a tune.

It’s on all platforms. Go check out the You Tube vid, and then add the Spotify to your list. This would go down very well on stage, as well as in those times of personal introspection and reverie. It’s a gift when someone shares such a worthwhile tool for one’s own self-reflection and personal time.

10 out of 10.