After releasing her debut album in 2017, Thelma’s Natasha Jacobs was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects her joints. Her illness makes it hard to play music, especially the spindly guitar kind that so populated her first album, but The Only Thing shows that it certainly isn’t impossible.

Many of its songs stem from stem from a reckoning with what it means to be an artist, and how it feels when the body that’s meant to support you tries to sabotage your goals at every turn. She moved from guitars to synths, feeling more comfortable and at home among sounds that rang out in large bellows. The result is a collection of sweeping, interior songs that beg to projected outwards, to reach someone that might be going through a similar experience.

In an essay for The Talkhouse, Jacobs reflects on the process that led to the creation of the album. It’s all worth a read, but this part hits especially hard:

As this album comes out, I’ve been thinking about that feeling and that urgency from a bit of a temporary distance. I know I may not be able to make music my job, but you don’t need to be a “successful” artist to be an artist. I hope every artist feels that and never forgets it. I also hope that those dealing with chronic illness can ultimately feel firm in some conviction that they don’t have to hide their pain to be able to receive love. One can’t be loved fully in hiding, and there is room to be fully understood and cared for.

For the next three weeks, proceeds from the sale of the album will go towards Sophia’s Voice, an organization that provides assistance to people with chronic illness and disabilities. You can pre-order the album here or stream it below.

The Only Thing is out 2/22. Pre-order it here.