Lewis, Isabelle
Greetings
The debut album by the enigmatic and versatile Isabelle Lewis reveals to be hard to describe. There are hints of opera, pop, ande a variety of compositions ranging from ethereal ambient soundscapes, chamber music on the violin, and dark, electronic beats. But, the album as a whole is elegantly shaped, swelling from an intimate, interpersonal statement into something deeper and more spacious. The first half of the album leans slightly towards self-contained pop songcraft and ticking beats, while side B jumps off into the almost symphonic grandeur of songs. But as it progresses, the contrasts only grow more sublime: antique and postmodern, human and machinelike. The ominous weight of the droning sub-bass and trombone (guest player Helgi Hrafn Jónsson) only makes the interplay between vocals and violins (guest player Daniel Pioro joining Elisabeth) seem more delicate and vulnerable. The ethereal string tremolos of "Moonshell" seem to pull against the heavy, shuddering electronics and layers of crooning vocals.