Carmen Braden’s latest release, “An Invite,” is the second single from her upcoming album A Hard Light, set to drop on December 5th. The track, a captivating blend of ambient pop, creates an immersive listening experience from the very first note, evoking the feeling of stepping into a vivid, ethereal memory. The opening melody is absolutely bewitching, the kind of enchanting entrancement that completely leaves you beguiled and entranced.
Reflecting on a poignant moment from her past, Carmen captures the haunting beauty of a sense memory, as though reliving a scene from someone else’s life. “This song comes from a night when I was away from home as a young woman,” Carmen shares. “It was an encounter that forced me to confront choices about my body and autonomy. I came out of that experience feeling empowered, knowing I had made decisions true to myself.”
With a marimba loop and improvisation laid down by producer Mark Adam, the song features a call-and-response dynamic between Carmen and Nova Scotia singer Cas Palmer.
It’s unlike anything you would have ever heard, an engrossing and imaginative melodic force that entirely captures your interest.