When writing about Johanna Warren, it’s tempting to refer to her as an “ethereal” or “celestial” or “otherworldly” presence. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, because they are all apt descriptors; Warren has the composure of a wise elvin sage, someone who in their 20-odd years of living has somehow managed to transcend earthly trivialities. But compared to her forthcoming album n?m?n’s first single, “Less Traveled,” the lyrics on Warren’s latest offering, “Figure 8,” are less self-assured. With her first exhalation of breath, Warren expels a series of rhetorical questions, insecurities having to do with her relationship to others, and to herself, “What have I gotten myself into now?/ Who’s gonna save me when you’re not around?” It’s the most staggeringly vulnerable song on n?m?n, which makes it the most memorable. Listen below.


(via Impose)

n?m?n is out 5/19 on Team Love. You can preorder it here.