Fereshta readjusted the lens through which conservatives and regressives view radicalism in her latest single, Radical.The Afghan-American artist, songwriter and peace activist turns derision into poetry on a Stevie Nicks-esque, soul-driven rock release which makes no bones about questioning what makes fighting for basic human rights radical.
The opening line cuts straight through the noise, and from there, Fereshta lets the song move like a heart-to-heart with a spine. Her delivery carries rock conviction without hardening into venom; that malice-free force makes the message all the more potent and protestive. The guitars give the track a steady, road-worn lift, while her voice holds the same mystic warmth that makes Nicks feel eternal, threaded with the literary defiance that made Patti Smith sound dangerous without needing to posture.
Written after Fereshta felt silence was no longer an option, Radical was developed with Joseph Picone before being recorded in San Diego with longtime bandmates Rich Pelletier and Brian O’Keefe, alongside Mike Santiago, Curtiss Matovich and Grammy Award-winning producer Alan Sanderson. As someone born in Kabul during the Soviet invasion, whose family fled war and persecution, Fereshta sings from lived knowledge of what happens when fear becomes normal and people forget their agency.
By using talent, empathy and hope as her sharpest tools, Fereshta implores the humanity out of the listener. It is easy to see how she could become the Patti Smith of this generation.
Radical is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
No Comments