Valerie Warntz’s “4 AM” is an Orchestral Evocation of Mixed Emotions Cast Into the Night

ValerieWarntz1_crop — Valerie Warntz, photo courtesy the artist

“It’s 4 AM, the windows are open wide,” Valerie Warntz sings at the top of the chorus of the song “4 AM” sounding like she’s been there before, up too late contemplating looking back on the night, back on her life wondering how she got here and why she keeps doing this to herself. One imagines her looking out into the pre-dawn night when anyone normal that doesn’t have an overnight job or crawling back from a shift in the service industry is already asleep after a long night. The accented piano line, the pulses of electronic bass and Warntz’s voice interact like a miniature orchestra giving voice to that moment in your life when maybe you feel confused about a relationship and where it’s going or where it went wrong with someone part of you doesn’t want to live without but another part of you know is causing you the kind of emotional distress to be up late but not sure if that means the feelings are deep or if those deep feelings are a sort of rationalization of the repeated pain you experience in your connection with that person. Except that the song sounds like the aftermath of the initial inner turmoil and you’re just contemplating what to do from here and if it’s all worth salvaging but knowing, as much as you don’t want to admit it to yourself, despite the comforts you’ve enjoyed, that it’s over. The song is part of Warntz’s album Revelation due for release later in 2019 but for now you can listen on Soundcloud and follow Valerie Warntz at the links below.