It was only a few weeks back that Vodka reviewed the spectacular voice of Syd Carter West for the first time. Blues-infused indie-rock has a new, powerful, and genuine voice in Ms. West!  Of Venom Hurts (heard here) she writes:

“This is dedicated to anyone who suffers with the daily pain of mental illness and needs a voice to express that part of them that feels shutdown. The state of our mental health doesn’t have to define who we are, but rather the obstacles we can face and come back stronger and wiser.”

Many people suffer from various forms of mental health issues. The pandemic has increased the angst and loneliness that many people were dealing with anyway. An anthem to self-support and encouragement is just what we need, and Syd Carter West is happy to oblige.

With just a few original singles released (so far), and a handful of covers, West shows that she has the talent to pull off a complete LPs worth of music. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that her voice and her ability to write quirky, but powerful musical stories represent a perfect recipe. 

Venom Hurts delves into West’s own personal feelings. When I reached out for a comment about the track, West wrote: 

“Venom Hurts is simply my way of telling people that I’m not perfect, I make mistakes and I struggle like everyone else. I don’t want to be affected by people’s judgments of me and who they think I am. This is me exposing my truth and freeing myself from the judgments. I’m owning everything I am – flaws and all! “

That self-expression comes through vividly in the lyrics:

“I got my weirdo stupid ways
Think I got it so damn good?
Well honey you haven’t seen my curse 
That Venom Hurts

I got that dirty leather groove
I got that good old whiskey bruise
Say I have it so damn good?
Well honey you haven’t seen my curse 
That Venom Hurts

I’d rather take the love from Mary J 
Than that fake love you give everyday”

Underlying this exposure of raw emotion is the message: You don’t know me. You don’t know what I go through. Your judgment does not define me.

You can find more information on Syd Carter West by heading up to her website. All of the social and streaming content is there along with a nice bio. You can pick up West’s two-song EP Stripped. and the single The Ugly Truth (previously reviewed) on her bandcamp.com site. Pick up or stream some very powerful music from this great artist now!

Note: Covid 19 is still with us. The variants continue to make life as we knew it, completely different. The livelihoods of artists like Syd Carter West and many others are still threatened. If your situation allows it, consider purchasing more in these tough times. Please, if you are physically able to do so, get vaccinated! –Vodka