22nd November 2011 saw the release of the debut album of Irish singer/songwriter Metaphorest. Her debut follows significant international attention following the performance of her creative works at SXSW and at the LA Orpheum Theatre by actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway and singers Sia Furler, AMSound and in other venues by artists such as Sean Lennon, Anna Kendrick, Gary Oldman and Charlotte Muhl.

The album contains 21 tracks that are by turns ethereal, literate, warm-hearted, off-kilter, enigmatic, life-affirming and mystical and is the culmination of over a years worth of collaboration with fellow artists. Her oeuvre is eclectic veering effortlessly into dream pop, indie folk and lilting melodies.

Like any other album I have particular favourites, one of them is ‘Apologist’, a moving, soaring work. ‘Empire’ is one especially unique and experimental tune, with French vocals turned backwards to create an enthralling glossolalia sound. The dreamy and haunting ‘Siren Calling’ features in the upcoming movie, White Out, a timely project that warrants interest because she penned the script too.

One of her inspirations, American singer/songwriter/harpist Joanna Newsom, once said, “It’s important to say what you need to say as accurately and truly as possible, but with as few words as possible as well.”. Metaphorest does this well, always pointing in directions that give you an opportunity to swim through expansive portals of self-discovery. There is the seemingly esoteric ‘Hindsight’, which I find evocative of bygone experience yet also universally reflective and ancestral. And ‘Wanderer’ is a tune I found particularly enigmatic.

The dark undertones of ‘Flawed Romance’ works wonderfully in tandem with an upbeat stroke of oriental-folk. Whereas ‘Smile Bomb’ comes for your cockles, as does ‘Everything, Baby’.

Discover for yourself the depths of her imagination. And yours.

- Ben Ziegler

sarahdaly42:

Drumroll! The trailer for White Out - the apocalyptic feature me and Lawrie and many contributors and cohorts have been working on for many a month - is now online! Please spread it about like…jam? Wildfire? Yes! Anyway, share it please if you like it - I would be most grateful <3

And to those many of you who have helped along the way - a heartfelt thanks - here comes the (terrifying, stressful) fun bit!

yawninglily:

“I love kids. They’re short, highly emotional people who don’t know anything. They rely on their creativity and imagination to get by in the world. A world, I might add, filled with giants. Amazing feat.”

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Arlen Faber (via peteforester)