A quiet tension runs through “Sleepwalking,” the new EP by Jessie Altman. Across four songs, the singer-songwriter constructs a narrative centered on the central question of how much of what we experience is real. This project, released under her fully embraced artist name for the first time, also stands as her most conceptually cohesive work to date.
Produced by Jason Lehning and mixed by Craig Alvin, the EP unfolds within an enveloping atmosphere, shaped by expansive arrangements and a warm sonic texture that underscores its introspective tone.
The release arrives at a moment of growing visibility for Altman. After touring with BBMAK and Tyler Hilton, she was named one of SPIN’s emerging artists to watch, and her catalog has surpassed one million global streams. These milestones reinforce her steady ascent and frame “Sleepwalking” as a natural step forward in her artistic evolution.
The title track introduces the EP’s central idea, one that feels especially relevant today, when we are living on autopilot. Altman captures the experience of moving through routine as something internal quietly begins to stir. The lyrics trace that gradual awakening and the uneasy realization that remaining in inertia comes at a cost.
In “Mirror Mirror,” the focus shifts toward identity. The song questions which parts of our image reflect who we truly are, and which are carefully constructed. The mirror becomes a site of confrontation, where projected versions of the self begin to blur. Altman longs to see a more comfortable reflection, one that softens what unsettles her and conceals what hurts. Illusion feels easier than confrontation.
“Trick of the Light” builds on the idea of how light alters what we see. Shapes transform depending on where the light falls, and meaning bends with them. The song portrays an intense and all-consuming relationship as a luminous illusion that bathes everything in pink, distorting time and reality. Jessie allows herself to be carried by the euphoria and attraction, aware that magic may be fleeting, yet choosing the fantasy over the tangible. The lyrics capture that moment when infatuation dazzles, disorients, and seduces all at once.
Finally, “Hypnotic” delves into the intensity of an absorbing connection, the sensation of being wrapped in someone else’s presence. It captures the pull of attraction, the temporary loss of perspective, and the kind of surrender that can blur the edges of the self.
Throughout “Sleepwalking,” illusion takes on different forms, such as routine, self-image, desire, and altered perception. The songs operate as scenes within a single internal process. With this EP, Jessie Altman reaffirms an artistic identity focused on examining specific emotional states, particularly those moments when something begins to shift before we are fully able to name it.
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Top image credit Vincent Verdureau
