By Makenzie Creden

Opening up can be hard, but Claudia Ferme-Giralt has proven to be no stranger to vulnerability. Throughout her new EP Enactor, Chicago lyricist Claude takes listeners on a dark, deeply personal sonic journey through her headspace and the disorientating state of the world. The catharsis is evident in her delicate swirls of melodic dream pop and lyrical torment.

The EP focuses on topics such as the darkness of the true self, the effects of technology on the world, and dissociation. This especially prevalent in the opening track “Screen.” “I’m watching myself through a screen. Can you see me?” she cries out. We see you, Claude!

These existential lyrical themes are also reflected in the instrumentals: lush layers of synth behind guitar drenched in reverb and the occasional gentle drumbeat. Every sound is so delicate and so intentional. So intentional, in fact, that she re-recorded these songs years after originally recording them with her father in 2017. After spending more time in Chicago, growing, finding like-minded folks to play in her band, and finding her sound she recorded them again. The final product: Enactor as we know it.

If you find yourself falling in love with Enactor as we did, check out Claude’s Audiotree performance from earlier this week here. She plays tracks from the EP alongside her band in a stellar performance.