Jessica Cotten's 'Edge Of The Wilderness' Is Open About The Heavy Topics

Jessica Cotten is the indie electro-pop artist with a purpose. Her debut EP, 'Edge of the Wilderness,' calls out failed leaders, corrupt systems, and hypocritical faith. She wrote the EP during the pandemic when she was seeing the world fall apart in more ways than one and became fed up with the world we live in and the society we are part of.

'Edge of the Wilderness' is mostly ambient and magical with soundscapes the indicate a headspace beyond that of our current reality. The dream pop and electro elements bring it back down to Earth while her lyrics ground it.

The 6 song EP tackles it all. "City On Fire" speaks on the world falling apart due to the political and social unrest that the United States specifically experienced, noting that sometimes things need to fall apart to made good. "My Heroes" speaks on gender discrimination, misogyny, and leadership as power and capitol over actually leading. "Another Love" calls out Christian hypocrisy. While the faith claims to love people, their actions say otherwise.

"Reach Out to Me" examines friendships and how we are all connected through each other. "Steady Now" is where the album takes a thematic turn as it's a poem based on a character from one of Jessica's novels. This particular character is a strong, fierce woman who always knows what to do, and this poem/song is her talking to herself in the midst of a really painful, scary loss.

'Edge of the Wilderness' rounds out with a personal song for Jessica, "Every Golden Hour." This mostly instrumental piece is about her dog. While her dog is no longer with us, it's a tribute to their connection; their souls are still tied together.

'Edge of the Wilderness' is a refreshingly open EP. While most artists avoid such heavy topics, Jessica leans in and says what she means without any apologies. I highly recommend listening to 'Edge of the Wilderness.'

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