With her full-length Pleasure/Pain, released May 8th, songwriter Whitney Lyman solidifies her place as Seattle’s dream-pop priestess. Pleasure/Pain’s crystalline vocals and spiraling orchestral arrangements, infused by both jazz complexity and pop familiarity, lulls Lyman’s audience into a sweet, spiritual hypnosis. The much-anticipated debut comes after close to a decade of performing and collaborating in Seattle with such artists as Seattle Rock Orchestra, Pollens, The Theoretics, and most recently, the popular electronic duo, ODESZA, with whom she performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live.


At the forefront of Pleasure/Pain are Lyman’s dreams, more specifically, the Ouroboros snake of eternity and paradox, which she has tattooed on her forearm. Lyman dreamt she was that snake in the sand. As an eagle circled her, she thought to bite her own tail to poison herself, and ultimately the eagle as well. The dream, about finding sameness in a dichotomy, has hung with her, accounting for her lyrical and sonic play with competing ideas. In her song, “The Fount,” Lyman lyrically explores the dark and light inside us, as the music swirls in its cyclical structure, and a raga-like mood, it mirrors the tension of the underlying concept. Finally, the repetitious plucked string melody releases to the message at the climax: “If you let it come out, you’re the fount.” These are the sorts of gems of spiritual wisdom, underscored by her meticulous musical arrangements, that give Lyman’s music a compelling edge.


At the same time, Pleasure/Pain has an undeniable pop influence. Lyman can’t help but pay homage to the pop greats that’ve inspired her, especially The Beatles, Queen, vocal powerhouses like Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, and the iconic pop producer Max Martin. It all comes out in the polished performance and production of Lyman’s own vocals, in moments that showcase her musical training and personal style. The lead single off the album, “Don’t Look Back,” for instance, shows Lyman’s incredible range and tendency towards soulful embellishments.


Lyman’s vision is bolstered by the recording, production, and fellow musicians on Pleasure/Pain. Pleasure/Pain was recorded at Seattle’s legendary London Bridge Studio, where such local royalty as Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Macklemore, and Death Cab for Cutie have recorded. She also worked with producer Jonathan Plum, known for his work with Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Brandi Carlile, as well as Geoff Ott, who mixed and mastered Pleasure/Pain. As well, Lyman’s band has some of the brightest lights on the Seattle scene today, including violinist Andrew Joslyn, who’s recorded with Macklemore, Kesha, Mark Lanegan and Duff Mckagan from Guns N’ Roses, cellist Sam Anderson of Hey Marseilles, drummer Adam Kozie of Pollens, and bassist Evan McPherson of Spyn Reset.


With the release of Pleasure/Pain on May 8th, Lyman will invite listeners to touch the sting of existence, to immerse themselves in a rich, sonic dream world. The show will feature Lyman’s newly-polished arrangements and include the complete and expansive instrumentation she used in recording.