Genre: Indie Pop, Baroque Pop
Writers: C.Lake, J.Morello, Rick Nowels
Producers: C. Lake, Rick Nowels
Time Limit: 4:30
Release Date: January 6th, 2013
Label: Daytime Listening



As 2012 slides it's way out with a year full of scandals, new artists, returning artists and the most consistent ones standing among the rest. One artist who we all can agree that has had very productive year herself, is that of Cristina Lake's. Busting back onto the scene early last year from her music hiatus in quite a surprise. Without any type of buildup buildup she quietly released the compassionate indie track 'The Days You Might Fill With Laughter' that shockingly became one of Cristina's most successful single since the start of her career. Following a string of single releases, Cristina released her followup from 2010's "Nola" in "Chasing The Renegades". The album, was a depressive work of indie pop art that showed not only the deepest of heartache in Cristina, but her growth from an actress to part time singer to a fully fledged musician with acting talents. The album dug deep down into her inner most thoughts as the dreary ballads and cinematic tracks got across Cristina's demeanor during her time with, and without the deceased Jake Frost and the media scrutiny she'd dealt with before and after his ordeal. The album went on to reach the top of the Album Charts after being critically acclaimed and going onto sell more than 1,700,000 copies becoming a commercial blockbuster and certifying Cristina as a force to be reckon with in music, but more importantly (and positively) the album had given Lake the chance to get off all the weight on her shoulders and open up to her fans. For the remainder of 2012, she released 3 more singles off of the album all becoming successes and co-headlined a tour with fellow recording artist Julia Volkova which ended some months ago. Since than Cristina began working on the followup to "Chasing The Renegades", quietly settling down and getting straight to recording whenever she had the chance to after writing majority of the album on the road. While we may have been wondering when Cristina was going to be back with material, she's kicking off the new year with her newest release in "Blinded By The Weakness".

Blinded By The Weakness is the leading single taken off of Cristina Lake's forthcoming third studio album which is soon to be titled and given a release date. When you first think about the title and the circumstances of Lake's, you would possibly think she is offering us the same anger, sadness, and depression she offered on her previous release but by the surprising side, Lake, who is always offering her fans something fresh and something to look forward to seems to have found one with herself, not only musically but mentally as well as she still delves into the darker and mysterious side of Indie pop music. The track starts off with a roaring, tribal beat that is quite surprising and much more proclaiming than the first single taken off of her previous album. Seconds of this catchy beat mixed with the an aggressive bassline, clapping percussion's, and pounding before the "big sound" slides away with just a more suttle tribal beat taking over as Cristina starts singing. Cristina has this powerful croon to it, as she sounds strong, but vulnerable at the same time. She sings the opening lines of the track as she opens up about her past: Once upon a time I was living like a shadow
Clutching pictures to my chest; Holding out the pieces of this mess; And nobody could help me
I was tumbling further to the ground, deafened by this empty sound; Love abandoned; Love no more; I was holding back like never before| It is evident that this is a page out of Lake's diary as she sings about her depressions in past tense. Her voice sounding nostalgic as she hauntingly sings with the bass pounding behind her. After Cristina finishes singing the first part of the track a few seconds pass without Cristina singing as she lets the backing beat take over. Mere seconds later, she continues with her story. Cristina makes it as if she is having a conversation with the listener as she begins singing the next part of the song: My friends were there at the start|Tryin’ to fix the pieces of this vulnerable heart
But the more they tried|The harder I cried|And I pushed them further and further away|Longing for the love of a yesterday|But love didn’t come|It left a gaping hold|I stared into the abyss
Ready to fall; She continues on, with these simple, yet complex lyrics about being heartbroken and wanted a love that came with yesterday. It's odd how whatever Cristina sings we automatically think it's something linked to Jake, but that's only our assumption as she holds her strong vocals to the track with the beats still staying stable. However, after she finishes the last line: "Ready to fall". The beat begins to pick up. The clapping beats finds it way back onto the track and the bass becomes harder. Cristina adds an edge onto her vocals, making a prowess growl as she opens up the next part of the song. Behind this building beat with percussion's holding up along with the bass , Cristina coos out in her latest chronicle. But everything changed|I saw the reflection of who I had become|The shadow of a former person|But now I feel like I’m growing young|I was in the mire|Lost without my one desire|But I heard an old familiar song|It was calling out for a fighter and defender|And I realized in that moment; These powerful lyrics that hit you even harder with Cristina's yearning vocals, is only building up for the chorus of the song. Cristina then belts out |That I could be the great pretender| the building beat then restrains for a miliseconds and the beat bursts into the captivating chorus catching off guard with Cristina voice belting as soon as the chorus slams along, with each of the instruments coming together for a instrumental drop. Cristina sings with all her emotion backed with the heavy tribal and organ following. |I was blinded by the weakness, But all things must heal over time;| Cristina yells out. The instrumental drop then slams across the track once more. She then continues: |I’m no longer wandering the lonely streets|Reminiscing about a love that once was mine| And instead I’m looking forward; Cristina makes it known that she's finally coming to one with herself with these truthful lyrics. The instrumental drop that is followed by the organ and tribe beats that seem to never get old, slams down on the chorus again as Cristina continues. With eyes of optimism|I can see everything that surrounds me|Not just that tunnel vision. After that is said, the beats finally settle down as the chorus ends. Cristina gets across the message that those old days are behind her, she's looking forward. The days of sadness is now coming to an end. She's finally finding her footing, she can see clearly. These deep lyrics continue throughout the the next verse of the song. Where she sings about although she will always face pain and finally be able to be okay and feel happy again. The serious beat mixes perfectly with not only the theme of the song but with Cristina's vocals throughout the next verse as well. She sings about optimism with her vocals becoming bigger |But things do get better in time|That’s what I’ve learnt along the lonely roads|I can start this path to the brightest of new futures|And I may very well fall along the way|But I know that in the end
I will be okay| Singing that she has learned from her experiences, it's time to see the light, and not the dark. She beats out "I will be okay" as the song unleashes into an instrumental with the haunting instruments and beats carrying us over the bridge. The clapping beats, tribal percussion's, and powerful bass gives the listeners a pure instrumental thrill. The beats then build once more, as Cristina sings powerfully the pre-chorus. Just as she did before she sings as the beats are building up and bursts into the chorus. This time, you can hear that Cristina brings her all for the chorus, as the beat slams, followed by Cristina singing two lines, and it slams once more and does it again for the next two lines and for the chorus two times in a row. With the big instruments backing Cristina, she finishes the final line and the song comes to a haunting stop as it fades away to the end.



Cristina Lake returns with this powerful track off of her upcoming third studio album. What do you think of this authentic track?

Beat Building - Italics
Chorus - Bold

Once upon a time I was living like a shadow
Clutching pictures to my chest
Holding out the pieces of this mess
And nobody could help me
I was tumbling further to the ground, deafened by this empty sound
Love abandoned
Love no more
I was holding back like never before

My friends were there at the start
Tryin’ to fix the pieces of this vulnerable heart
But the more they tried
The harder I cried
And I pushed them further and further away
Longing for the love of a yesterday
But love didn’t come
It left a gaping hold
I stared into the abyss
Ready to fall

But everything changed
I saw the reflection of who I had become
The shadow of a former person
But now I feel like I’m growing young
I was in the mire
Lost without my one desire
But I heard an old familiar song
It was calling out for a fighter and defender
And I realized in that moment
That I could be the great pretender

I was blinded by the weakness
But all things must heal over time
I’m no longer wandering the lonely streets
Reminiscing about a love that once was mine
And instead I’m looking forward
With eyes of optimism
I can see everything that surrounds me
Not just that tunnel vision

Pain will always show
That’s something that I’ve learnt to accept
But I can paint over my open wounds
And feel okay without regret
Because in life it can be hard to smile
But you can come out of the darkest of places
It doesn’t mean you should forget
About all of those familiar faces

But things do get better in time
That’s what I’ve learnt along the lonely roads
I can start this path to the brightest of new futures
And I may very well fall along the way
But I know that in the end
I will be okay

****

A long time ago, everything changed
I saw the reflection of who I had become
The shadow of a former person
But now I feel like I’m growing young
I was in the mire
Lost without my one desire
But I heard an old familiar song
It was calling out for a fighter and defender
And I realized in that moment
That I could be the great pretender


I was blinded by the weakness
But all things must heal over time
I’m no longer wandering the lonely streets
Reminiscing about a love that once was mine
And instead I’m looking forward
With eyes of optimism
I can see everything that surrounds me
Not just that tunnel vision
[2x]