MARSHA SWANSON – LIKE AN ANGEL – SINGLE REVIEW

Marsha Swanson’s latest music video, Like an Angel, is a breathtaking artistic statement that blurs the lines between sound and vision. Teaming up once again with renowned Iranian director and animator Sam Chegini, Swanson delivers a sensory journey that explores the ethereal terrain of love, memory, and loss. Their fifth collaboration brings forth a level of creative synergy that’s palpable in every frame, crafting a visual narrative that elevates the music to a deeply emotional plane. It’s a rare kind of alchemy that makes this video not just a song, but a complete immersive experience.

The video opens with a gentle wash of ambient sound and abstract imagery, immediately drawing the viewer into its dreamlike world. Chegini’s signature animation style—a blend of surreal textures, soft palettes, and fluid transitions—acts as both a complement and a mirror to Swanson’s haunting vocals. His visuals don’t just accompany the music; they extend it, revealing unspoken layers of emotion and meaning. The animations pulse and breathe alongside the song, making the loss and longing embedded in the lyrics feel almost tangible.

Like an Angel stands out as one of Swanson’s most emotionally rich compositions. The lush instrumental arrangement—with sweeping strings, intricate guitar riffs, and subtle rhythmic undercurrents—provides a grounding backdrop to her delicate, expressive voice. This version reimagines a previously unreleased “ghost track,” transforming it into something spiritually resonant and timeless. Swanson’s voice floats with both fragility and strength, navigating the complex emotional terrain of remembrance with grace.

Thematically, Like an Angel delves deep into the experience of loss and the enduring presence of those we’ve loved and lost. Swanson’s lyricism is both poetic and personal, and her vocal delivery is suffused with empathy. In her own words, the song serves as “an homage or ode to those no longer with us,” and that heartfelt intention is felt throughout the piece. Whether it’s a glance at a fading memory or a symbolic image of a figure dissolving into light, the video paints a portrait of grief that is both intimate and universal.

What makes this video particularly compelling is how it transforms pain into beauty. Swanson and Chegini manage to strike a delicate balance between melancholy and transcendence, never tipping too far into sentimentality. Instead, the viewer is left with a sense of quiet reverence—an understanding that loss is part of life’s larger, mysterious design. The emotional core of the song is amplified, not diluted, by the visuals, creating an experience that lingers long after the final note fades.

In Like an Angel, Marsha Swanson and Sam Chegini have created more than just a music video—they’ve crafted a visual elegy, a spiritual meditation, and an artistic triumph. It is a compelling testament to the power of collaboration and the potential of multimedia storytelling to touch the soul. For fans of introspective, emotive art, this is a must-watch. For everyone else, it’s an invitation—to remember, to feel, and to be moved.