Samia channels poetic influences on new single ‘Cinder Block’
The track serves as an extension of latest release ‘Bloodless’, blending lyrical nods to Leonard Cohen with the singer-songwriter’s honest charm to stunning effect.
Photo: Press
Samia’s 2025 thus far has been a spectacle to behold. The ever-spreading virus of social media virality infected her 2023 NPR Tiny Desk performance of fan-favourite track Pool, plastering its hauntingly beautiful bridge on phone screens worldwide. Moreover, April saw the release of her eagerly-awaited third album Bloodless, an honest and intimate project which further highlighted her knack for heart-wrenching and profound songwriting. Five months later, the Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter has reemerged with Cinder Block, a self-proclaimed extension of her work on Bloodless, aflush with agonising declarations of vulnerability.
Cinder Block is aptly named, heavy and true; it is bound to leave that weighty feeling of despair in the pit of the listener’s stomach. The vocal track is a steady stream of consciousness that runs rings around a striking but assured guitar riff, ensnaring the listener in a trap to harvest their focus and firmly place it on Samia’s moving lyrics. As is the case in the majority of her work, Samia’s vulnerable way with words is the true star of the show, delicately splicing sharp gut-punches with poetic admissions via her crisp yet sweet voice. The aforementioned poetic roots of this track run deep as the late Leonard Cohen is channelled throughout the song, with words from some of his finest work being repurposed to breathe new life into this rhythmic ballad concerned with innocence, forgiveness and wanting.
Samia is at the peak of her powers following Bloodless, having realised her bold but dreamy sound once again. Cinder Block crosses the T’s and dots the I’s, signing off an unforgettable year all the whilst leaving listeners yearning for what’s to come next.