LEAH MARIE MASON - Cigarette Sober - The 13th

When Leah Marie Mason delivered her debut EP Honeydew and Hennessy earlier this year, she not only offered a solid look at the pop infused country style that had become her signature, but she dipped her toes into darker, moodier waters with the very haunting “Holy Water.”

Using that precise song as very strong foreshadowing, she’s since continued to redefine her overall sound through the vulnerability of “Black Sheep” and now with her latest single, “Cigarette Sober.”

The song, written by Mason, Robyn Collins, and Jason Reeves, leans against an airy driven melody that pulls influence from 90’s adult contemporary while smashing straight into modern country and an unapologetic singer-songwriter aura that places the whisper of Mason’s voice in the forefront to expertly capture the emotions of the lyric.

With stark conflict between having the strength to keep distance from a past relationship or succumbing to that same tonic ex for a temporary fix of temptation, Leah brings us straight into the internal struggles that she’s facing through each of the verses.

Noting that the devil is hitting her with hard to ignore vibes that have her leaning toward giving in, she laments through a tipsy haze in the fogged-up mirror, “I already know that you’re a bad idea” while reasoning with herself, “said I wouldn't do it, but I probably will.”

The chorus, however, sees her grinding the conflicting emotions together to unapologetically break through their barriers as she stamps her foot down with bold empowerment, effectively quieting the noise and holding tightly to who she is and what she’s worth:

“Ooooooooooo, you just want me like a temporary tattoo

Ooooooooooo, but i’m permanent like sharpie in the bathroom

I’d never fall in love just cause i’m lonely

I never play with fire ‘cause it only burns me

I’d never sleep with someone for the closure

I’d never smoke a cigarette sober, sober oooo”

Leading from the reminder in the chorus into one final shot wrapped in pure confidence, I’m not the kinda girl you can wash off in the morning, guess you'll have to live with the brand I left on you,” Mason steps away from her past and into her next chapter with an impactful mark left behind on what was.

For an artist that found the success that Leah Marie Mason did out the gate with “Far Boy,” completely rebranding elements of your signature sound to craft something even more unique is quite the scary endeavor. However, when you do it with the type of vigor that Mason has over the past few outings, you present a truth that attracts listeners into the pieces of your diary that you’re willing to share with them, thus creating a layer of intrigue that pulls them in and leaves them wanting more!

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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