“Dark & Pretty” by Tessa Dalton | Review

The push and pull of emotions in an unhealthy relationship is a universal feeling. It’s addicting, nauseating and all around exhausting. In “Dark & Pretty”, Tessa Dalton sings about this unfortunately common experience from her own perspective over a beautiful guitar and synth sounds with stunning melodies.

Dalton describes a feeling of surveillance from this particular relationship very poetically with lines like “It’s a science/ Social act/ Learning balance/ Good and bad/ Feeling weight shift/ Every step/ I can hear you like a drone/ No one's watching/ All alone.” I love a poetic writer and Dalton certainly delivers with these the uncomfortable feeling that comes with feeling unstable in an unsupportive relationship. My favorite line being “Social Act” because it conjures in my mind this image of walking a tightrope in trying to please someone. The description of an act being a performance or almost a test that you can pass or fail thus “a science” is fantastic as well. Of course all of these images come to mind within the first two lines.

Tessa came up with the concept for “Dark & Pretty” while out on a late night drive to see Christmas lights. She said, “I went on a late night drive to see the Christmas lights. I turned off my headlights to get the full effect as I drove through a neighborhood. On the way home, I got pulled over by the police for driving without my headlights on.” This contrast made her realize, “There can be beauty in darkness. But when you surround yourself with dark influences, it's easy to get used to it. It's easy to forget about your own light.”

The chorus discusses the dissonance in an unhealthy relationship: knowing it isn’t serving you but also feeling addicted to the rush. She acknowledges that continuing this relationship is her choice and one that will eventually “break” her yet continues to participate in it. Completely relatable, and human. Dark and pretty.

Overall, Tessa’s fantastic singing and writing skills come out on “Dark & Pretty.” I’m very excited to see what is next for her and I’m hoping to see her put her Bachelors in commercial fiddle to use in her songs to come!

Written by Jazmin Polido