Cass McCombs returns with “Priestess,” a song that seems both an embrace and an adventure. His latest offering sees the singer-songwriter’s trademark poetic lyricism cut with an extended progression of the spine-tingling soundscape he laid down.
Backed by Brian Betancourt (bass), Frank LoCrasto (keyboards), and Austin Vaughn (drums), McCombs brings to “Priestess” a hushed intensity that says everything. It’s a song that takes its time as it basks, welcoming listeners to immerse themselves in its universe, where each note and every lyric feels cloaked in hallowed air.
From the first moments, “Priestess” makes itself an all-consuming experience. The rolling basslines, warm keyboard flourishes, and drum patterns create a hypnotic undercurrent that allows McCombs’ contemplative vocal delivery the space it needs to shine. There’s an almost beatific Americana feel to it as the song appears rooted in a tradition and cruising complacently into the unknown.
As always, McCombs is an evocative lyricist whose pictures are vivid and elusive. His words carry the weight of someone with decades of experience in storytelling, not in a blatant, expository sense, but in a way that welcomes interpretation. The charm of his songwriting is that ambiguity allows listeners to discover their meaning in the song’s soft mystery. This track embraces the raw, organic textures that have long been McCombs’ strength, but there’s a newly arrived sense of mission here.
“Priestess” marks the first taste of McCombs’ next chapter with Domino Records. There’s a grace in this song, a weightlessness, as though he is making music to be heard and felt. “Priestess” is a reassertion of all that makes Cass McCombs one of the most enigmatic voices in contemporary songcraft. This is an invitation to enter a world where words, melody, and meaning flow together as if they were the easiest, most magical things.
Follow Cass McCombs on Spotify
