The observer effect describes the phenomenon in which the act of observing changes that which is being observed. Bay Area artist, eggcorn uses the observer effect as the foundation for her vivid album by the same name. Taking an incisive look at the power that we have over ourselves and those around us, Observer Effect (due out May 23rd) explores the inevitable ways in which we alter our own experience through reflection.
eggcorn is the moniker for songwriter Lara Hoffman, who released her first single in 2020 as a conscious step forward into her career in music, which until then had largely been used as a therapeutic tool. With her new album, Hoffman preserves the vulnerability of her self-reflection while crystallizing her insights into infectious hooks that make the most nuanced realizations understandable. Observer Effect pivots from the synth-based, electronic realm of eggcorn’s first album Your Own True Love to pop-tinged chamber folk that deftly cushions the uncomfortable truths laid bare within each song. Observer Effect is not an easy record and Hoffman spares no one, not even herself. A music therapist with experience working in psychiatric facilities, she possesses the ability to hold herself as accountable as she does those around her, to ask herself why she feels the way she feels, and to push the boundaries of songwriting into an uncommon dimension.
Observer Effect marks Hoffman’s first time collaborating and recording with a full band, in contrast with the production of her first album Your Own True Love, which she performed and recorded on her own save for parts from her partner and bass player for eggcorn, Kyle Stringer. Still, she had a heavy hand in crafting this record, tracking the more intimate songs at home and composing some of the string parts before bringing them to her bandmates Ali Gummess (violin) and Karen Moran (viola).
The music of eggcorn feels immensely personal, Hoffman’s vulnerabilities laid bare but boldly so as she invites us into a world full of truths that are somehow both singular and universal. We’ve all found ourselves questioning our relationships with loneliness, wondering how we can hold both good and bad within ourselves at once, buzzing with the warmth of a new and novel crush, and pondering the significance that our own actions can have on our world around us. Ever fascinated by philosophy and psychology, Observer Effect is no stranger to heady moments, but always finds a way to ground the listener back down into a place that is familiar.
Today Glide is premiering the album’s opener and title track “Observer Effect” followed by its partner “Solo Party,” both of which dive headfirst into the complexities of the human psyche. The pair of songs took shape within the weeks of prescribed inactivity Hoffman experienced after breaking a bone in her left foot. Reminscent of acts like St. Vincent and Julia Jacklin, the songs veer from upbeat, textured alt-pop to the delicate, folk-driven sound of “Solo Party.” Together, they capture the dynamic creative approach that eggcorn takes to crafting songs with depth and meaning that also grab your attention with their striking musical beauty.
Listen to the singles and read Lara Hoffman’s reflection on them below…
It is a fucking law of physics that the very act of observation changes that which is being observed,” Brenda proclaims in my favorite show, Six Feet Under. In the weeks after I broke my foot, I rewatched the show and spent a lot time ruminating and playing guitar, which is when “Observer Effect” and “Solo Party” were written.
“Observer Effect” opens with me googling what would help/hinder bone growth and considering limitations in scientific studies. I was beating myself up about about bad habits such as smoking but began to wonder if my negative thought spirals were doing more damage than smoking. The song explores how mental, emotional, and physical health affect each other and how people affect each other. Though first leery of external influence, the lyrics climax with an invitation, “I am dying to be altered through your observation!” as I celebrate the collaboration between the observer and the observed. We recorded “Observer Effect” at Boxer Lodge with Peter Craft. Though I had envisioned upright bass on the track, I didn’t have an upright bass player so Kyle Stringer, who plays bass guitar, fingered the frets while Ali Gummess, who plays violin, bowed the strings. The two of them playing one instrument looked funny! But it was also touching to see them work together so we could achieve the string arrangement.
In contrast, “Solo Party” grapples with isolation and leaves me reminiscing about the past, wondering what has changed or stayed the same, and how to even gauge growth. Though we also recorded a version in the studio, I felt like it didn’t capture the spirit, so apropos to the title, “Solo Party” preserves the demo I made by myself as the bedrock. Adding an eery ambiance, the electric viola part played by Karen Moran was later recorded in my living room along with violin and bass. Then the delicately brushed drums were overdubbed remotely by Alex Doolittle.
