her picture Deliver a Gripping, Emotionally Charged Triumph With “Reasons I Tried”
- STAFF
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
By: Staff
An electrifying, masterfully crafted standout from her picture, vulnerable, bold, and impossible to ignore
We recently stumbled across her picture and their latest release, “Reasons I Tried,” and were immediately struck by the creative and emotionally complex soundscape this Glasgow-based trio has crafted. The journey this track offers is not only gripping, it’s immersive, pulling you straight into a world where vulnerability and technical prowess collide with a rare kind of honesty that refuses to play it safe.
The opening piano notes quietly set the tone, delicate yet deeply expressive, laying a foundation that feels more like an emotional current than mere accompaniment. From there, lead singer Anny Tahaney’s entrance adds another layer of intensity. Her rich lower register brings unexpected gravity, and her delivery is stunningly heartfelt. Tahaney doesn’t perform like someone trying to impress, her voice sounds like it’s carrying a burden she’s ready to share. The lyrics come alive through her control of diction and cadence, with each syllable stressed in ways that draw attention to emotional nuance. Her phrasing is brilliantly unpredictable, and her timing is intentionally fluid, creating a sensation that pulls the listener in. That ability to destabilize expectation is where so much of the song’s emotional pull comes from.
What follows is a seamless interplay between vocal and piano, where neither feels dominant but instead engaged in a quiet, intuitive exchange. The piano playing mirrors Tahaney’s emotional arc, responding in tone, intensity, and rhythm. It’s not just support, it’s a conversation. This musical relationship doesn’t feel rehearsed as much as it feels understood, like the two are reading from the same emotional blueprint. You can’t fake that kind of chemistry; it emerges from a place of instinct and shared experience, and that authenticity radiates through every moment of the track.
As “Reasons I Tried” progresses, the performance broadens. Tahaney gradually shifts into a falsetto register, revealing both an impressive range and a willingness to risk more emotionally. The transition is smooth and purposeful, and the piano responds by shifting in tone, becoming brighter or more urgent as needed. Carefully placed pauses between more intense vocal passages act as necessary breaths, letting the emotional weight settle in before moving forward again. These silences don’t interrupt the momentum, they deepen it.
Notably, there’s an absence of both percussion and bass in the first sections of the track, yet the song never feels hollow. In fact, that restraint enhances the vulnerability of the moment. The sparseness amplifies the intimacy, giving the piano and vocals room to fully resonate. When Catriona Reid’s bass lines eventually emerge, they do so with a calming, rhythmic presence that gently anchors the song. The tone is measured and smooth, adding a grounded warmth that expands the emotional range without disrupting the atmosphere. Her playing doesn’t demand attention, it earns it by becoming essential to the track’s sense of stability.
When Finlay Smith introduces the drums, the impact is subtle but unmistakable. There’s no crash or chaotic entrance, just a measured force, each beat weighted and intentional. The percussion doesn’t announce itself so much as it asserts presence, anchoring the performance with restraint rather than urgency.
As the final section unfolds, Smith’s drumming grows more expansive, like distant thunder gradually coming closer. It remains controlled, yet it carries undeniable power, setting the stage for the song’s emotional peak. Here, Tahaney’s vocals reach their most vulnerable, anguished falsetto cries that sound both broken and defiant. When these lines return as layered harmonies, arranged in a haunting call-and-response, the effect is staggering. It feels like echoes of past versions of the self answering back, fragments of memory woven into the present.
We couldn’t have been more impressed by her picture. The way Tahaney’s vocals marry with the emotive piano and the perfectly calibrated percussion from Smith forms a cohesive, emotionally charged sound that hits hard without ever feeling calculated. Reid’s bass work adds a grounding element that subtly shapes the song’s atmosphere, never overpowering but always essential. Each member of this trio brings something irreplaceable to the track, and together, they produce something far greater than the sum of their parts. “Reasons I Tried” left a lasting impression, and we’re genuinely thrilled to have discovered her picture through this powerful and emotionally resonant release.
her picture’s “Reasons I Tried” is a haunting, emotionally explosive masterpiece of raw honesty and sonic brilliance
her picture, a rising alternative rock trio from Glasgow, has built a reputation not just for their cinematic sound, but for the purpose that underpins it. Formed through a free music education program, the band stands out for their commitment to making the arts more accessible, using their platform to challenge systemic barriers like classism in the music industry. This sense of mission has been woven into both their sound and identity. With Anny Tahaney on vocals, Catriona Reid on bass, and Finlay Smith on drums, the band balances raw emotion with technical finesse, bringing both polish and sincerity to every performance.
Their 2023 debut EP Don’t Try to Comfort Me earned widespread praise for its fearless confrontation of social inequality, while the haunting follow-up single “Choir Song” delved into themes of heartbreak and self-loathing with stark vulnerability. They’ve already graced the stage at the legendary King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut and show no signs of slowing down.
Their upcoming EP, Feed Me Hope, promises an even more ambitious scope, drawing inspiration from Greek mythology’s Five Rivers of the Underworld to explore themes of healing, generational trauma, and self-redemption. Described by the band as a sonic journey, this project is shaping up to be a bold next step in their evolution. We're so excited to have found her picture and can’t wait to hear more.
Make sure to playlist, stream, and share “Reasons I Tried” by her picture.
