The Night of the Wind by Johanna Warren

Though our skills increase and our perspective deepens, we all fundamentally lose the freedom, honesty, and innocence of childhood creativity. Johanna Warren reflects on this fundamental loss on The Night of the Wind, an experimental synth pop collaboration between this adult artist and her toddler self. Though these instrumentals originate much more recently, Warren pulls all of her lyrics from a picture book she made for her mother when she was three years old, telling a simple, charming story of a character appreciating her magical fantasy world. Instrumentals inspired by the lo fi world of dungeon synth blend perfectly with these lyrics, maintaining an air of innocent exploration with their airy tones and simple melodies. Meanwhile, Warren’s adult vocal delivery flips the narrative on its head, turning the album into a lullaby being told by an adult to their own child self in whispered, calming tones that still bring the enthusiasm to bring these simple scenes to life. Of course, we’ll never get that pure perspective back, but this examination of conscience finds its remains lodged deep in the subconscious.