With guitars that carry epochs of historical past of their Southern Gothic timbre and arcane harmonies which tear via the space-time continuum right into a metaphysical enviornment of soul, Absentee doesn’t pander to style pastiche; in the identical vein as Low, Nicola Madill permits the preparations to summon emotive hypnosis into the minds of her viewers.
The masterclass in manufacturing provides house to each instrumental layer and ethereal whisper; because the association thrums, twangs, shimmers and rhythmically reverberates, Madill tempers the alchemy with poetically introspective luminosity. It’s an unforgettable introduction to the singer-songwriter who’s so attuned to the decadence of darkish gothic glamour that she triumphs in baring the true aura of it in her compositions.
Together with her MLitt in Artistic Writing informing the richly metaphorical lyrics and cinematic scale of the soundscape, Madill stitched a story thread via the monitor that’s each seductive and unsettling, coaxing catharsis from spectral corners of folk-rock. The restraint in her vocal efficiency speaks volumes in intimacy, echoing with the identical unsettling grace that earned her debut album Selene, a Report of Word title from BBC Radio Scotland.
Together with her upcoming LP to be launched in full on the midsummer solstice, Absentee serves as a portal into the atmospheric depths of her cultivated darkish hymnal sound. Earlier than the total file lands on twenty fourth June 2025, Nicola Madill will carry the spectral torch throughout the UK and Eire, supporting Martin Stephenson, together with dates at The Cavern Membership and London’s 229 Membership.
Absentee is now accessible to stream on all main platforms, together with Bandcamp.
Evaluate by Amelia Vandergast
