GENRE : alternative folk, dream pop, shoegaze, post-punk, Scotland
RECORD LABEL : Dead Forest Records
Ali Murray is a half-Scottish/half-Filipino songwriter/musician hailing from a cold little Scottish island - the Isle of Lewis, to be precise, and this is his first solo album since 2017. I've been highly anticipating this album for what seems like an eternity. Often when I build things up in my head over a long period of time, they inevitably disappoint...but this album was even better than I expected it to be.
This album is a dark lonely introspective journey through ambiguous dreamscapes. Musically, it's an interesting mixture of ethereal alt-folk and melancholy dream-pop, with some elements of shoegaze and gothic post-punk thrown in there for good measure. Lyrically, it tackles profound themes of mortality, love, loss, freedom and the fragility of our existence.
It is not light shallow music for the masses. Murray constantly manages to tap into something deep, dark and uncomfortable... but somehow turns it all into wonderful dreamy pop music.
The atmospheres and soundscapes within the album are exactly how I imagine the Isle of Lewis to be - cold, barren and beautiful...
I would highly recommend this album. It's one of the best singer-songwriter albums I've heard in years. And while you're at it, you should definitely check out his older albums.
Stream/Download the album here...
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