Teddington singer-songwriter, Liz Arcane, released a new nine-track album, The Sun Will Rise Again, last month (28 July), which is "all about going from the dark side of mental health to the light", according to the singer.

The album, which consists of nine songs all written and performed by Arcane, is a testament to her talent, blemishing a mix of soul and soft rock, a mix which sweetly accompanies her distinctive voice and Fleetwood Mac-style harmonies.

However, some of the tracks feature Bass guitar by James Mason, and an additional guitar can be heard on tracks two, five, and six by Dave Matthews. Track six also has additional keys by Mo Mashall, and there is a Violin part on track three by Sara Mecci.

The album was engineered, mixed, and mastered by James Mason at Island Farm Studios in summer 2025.

Arcane is releasing five of the singles gradually with 'One Goodbye', which is about learning to say goodbye in a positive way, having been released last Friday (1 August).

 The singer says she is releasing the singles every two weeks, with 'Hollow' coming out next on 15 August.

The album also has four bonus tracks, including 'Good Things' featuring James Mason, 'Broken', also featuring James Mason, 'The Sun Will Rise Again', and a reprise on the album's first track, 'The Sunrise is a Love Song', featuring James Mason.

Speaking about the album, Arcane said: "This is my fifth album, and was written around a simple concept: even the darkest nights end with the sun rising again.

"To some extent, the album is meant to present the journey we go through when we come through this metaphorical night into the bright light of day.

"Enormous thanks must go to James Mason at Island Farm Studios for his fantastic work."

Arcane is a London-based singer-songwriter who has a wealth of performance experience and a repertoire of original songs.

Her voice is deep and raw, making it immensely recognisable.

Liz Arcane is a London-based singer - songwriter (Credit: Michele George Photography)

Consciously rooted in the sounds of the 70s, the songs on the album take listeners on a journey, interchanging between some slow songs and some more upbeat ones, which embody the rollercoaster of emotions one may feel when struggling with their mental health, and the lyrics behind each song clearly reflect real-life moments and experiences of Arcane's life.

The album's first track, which is exclusive to the album edition, 'The Sunrise is a Love Song' is a short (1 minute and 55 seconds), mostly instrumental intro track which bookends the album. 

'The Sunrise is a Love Song' is the album's intro track (Credit: Drew Braidwood)

It is slow and melancholic, and projects a sort of "spooky" atmosphere through the sweet blemish between Arcane's beautiful melodies, the soft guitar acoustic, and the sound of birds tweeting in the background, all of which is symbolic of the low feelings that stem from one's declining mental health.

Having experienced low mood in the past myself, I feel that the meaning behind this track proves that just waking up each morning and seeing the morning sun, is a step forward in any mental health battle. And Arcane does this with very few words, singing only the titular phrase throughout – it's a simple yet meaningful depiction of a battle against low mood.

The album's second track, 'Sandalwood', which features other instruments, mixing, and mastering from James Mason, is more upbeat than the first, blemishing Arcane's raw vocals with the sound of the sea and the song's cheery tempo.

'Sandalwood is the album's second track (Credit: Drew Braidwood)

It is a perfect follow on from the first track as it suggests that, having overcome the first obstacle, waking up, the singer is now ready to face the day. To me, 'Sandalwood' is a way of Arcane applauding herself for waking up, getting out of bed, and trying to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, such as the song's topic – beachside romance.

Speaking about the song, Arcane said: "This single is one of my most personal songs, all about beachside romance" - you can feel the personal aspect coming from Arcane's lyrics with one line reminiscing on a teenage memory of hers lying in bed with the romantic interest involved in the song.

What I love about 'Sandalwood' is that it is extremely relatable, as most people will have memories of times spent with a romantic interest in their teens, which, as Arcane sings, "won't disintegrate from our memories".

The album's third track, 'One Goodbye', is even more upbeat than the second track, and its catchy tempo has had the song stuck in my head since my first listen.

'One Goodbye' is the album's third track (Credit: Bumblepunk Prints)

With Arcane's magnificent vocals and the song's cheery beat, this tune is the perfect summer track, which I can imagine myself listening to while in the car on a hot summer day with the windows down and the wind blowing in my hair.

Speaking about the track, Arcane said: "I wrote this song in summer 2024 before saying goodbye to a group of 33 students I'd taught since they were age twelve.

"It's about the importance of understanding that every goodbye is important, but also - grim but true - there are a lot of them in life. 

"On a more positive note, that means there's always another opportunity to say goodbye in the offing. Ironically, I say the word 'goodbye' an enormous number of times in the song!"

However, the album's fourth track, 'Long Gone', returns to the album's initial melancholic vibe as it focuses on Arcane's personal experiences of grief.

'Long Gone' is the album's fourth track (Credit: Drew Braidwood)

For me, this track shows off Arcane's beautiful, bluesy voice more than any other track on the album as she hits various high notes and harmonises along to the light and simple guitar acoustic accompanying the track.

'Long Gone' clearly mimics Arcane's own feelings towards grief as she sings the words "Even though he's long gone".

Speaking about the track, Arcane said: "I wrote this song thinking about grief and the idea that what we call ghosts is likely to instead be our memories, as we're haunted by all of the things that the person dearest to us loved."

Next on the album is 'Hollow', which, despite its title having slightly negative connotations, has anothr upbeat sound – one in which I couldn't help but bob my head along to.

'Hollow' is the album's fith track (Credit: Drew Braidwood)

This juxtaposition between the title and beat, for me, signifies the idea that even when one is feeling low, there can still be reasons, such as music (as mentioned in the song), that keep us going.

Speaking about 'Hollow', Arcane said: "This tune is one of the album singles, all about that desperate desire I'm sure we've all felt wherein all we want to do is run away from the news and the nightmares of daily life. Set against a driving rhythm, with a strong 70s rock vibe, it's a justification of occasional escape, even if it's just to blow off a little steam."

Now, having listened to Arcane's songs before, one thing I love about her music is her coalescing of bluesy jazz and 70's rock, which matches her deep vocals so well, and the album's next track, 'Good Things', featuring James Mason, showcases this talent of the singer's so well.

'Good Things is the album's sixth track Credit: Michele George Photography)

I love that with this mixture of musical genres, Arcane makes the song feel both upbeat and sad, meaning you can listen to it on both good and bad days.

However, despite the bluesy feel, the lyrics behind the song, particularly the lines "Good things happen every day", encourage listeners that even when at their lowest, there will always be good times.

Speaking about the track, Arcane said: "Good Things is a little bit of advice to people - me included - who get overly bogged down in their superstitions. If things in life are random, then that means anything can happen, both good and bad; so why focus on the bad alone?"

Contrastingly, the next track, 'Broken', which is exclusive to the album and again features James Morrison, is probably the most melancholic track on the album with Arcane's bluesy harmonies and the slow, bellowing sound of the accompanying trumpet.

'Broken' is the album's seventh track (Credit: Drew Braidwood)

For me, this song is reminiscent of the idea that when someone is feeling down, the world feels dark, even if it is sunny outside. This, I believe, will be relatable to anyone who has suffered from low mood.

And the lyrics behind the song explore the relatable feelings of hopelessness that one may feel when they have felt low for a long period of time and, despite trying to move on with these feelings, are still stuck in their sadness, thus feeling as though they are "broken".

The song, for me, is symbolic of the long waiting lists many in the country experience when waiting for counselling from the NHS.

Speaking about the track, Arcane said: "Concerned with the idea of letting your past fears go, even when it seems strange and unusual to do so, this song muses on the idea of imperfection and how it should be expected, not just accepted."

To contrast the dreary mood of the previous track, the next song, which is also the titular song, 'The Sun Will Rise Again', is more optimistic as the singer escapes her feelings of low mood and looks forward to waking up and getting through each day.

'The Sun Will Rise Again' is the album's penultimate track (Credit: Drew Braidwood)

Giving a cyclical penultimate ending to the album, the song gives a sense of relief, particularly as it comes immediately after 'Broken', that the singer has, as is the meaning behind the whole album, overcome her darkest times.

With its preacher-like lyricism and jazzy sound, this song is sure to make you feel good, even if you are feeling blue.

Continuing this theme, the album's final track, which is a reprisal of 'The Sunrise is a Love Song', mimics the album's first track, though with a brighter beat, representing the idea of the singer waking up in a good mood to the sweet sound of birds chirping.

The album's final track is a reprisal and remix of the intro track 'The Sun is a Love Song' (Credit: Drew Braidwood)

Speaking about the track, Arcane said: "To close the album, here's a reprise of the opening song, book-ending the album just as the sun book-ends the day. This remix features some wild innovation from producer extraordinaire James Mason."

For me, the songs on The Sun Will Rise Again, following their chronology, could embody the rollercoaster of emotions people can experience through their journeys battling with mental health problems; meaning they may have some bad days and some good days.

The personal experiences showcased in Arcane's lyrics highlight that nobody is alone in their feelings of low mood, and by the end of the album, listeners can feel comforted by the idea that they will overcome their struggles and that low mood is not something that has to last forever.

In conclusion, I can only thank and applaud Arcane for being so vulnerable in her music and offering listeners time to reflect on their own mental health struggles while enjoying the catchy tempos of each song.

You can listen to The Sun Will Rise Again on Bandcamp here.