One of the year’s richest sonic palettes, but also super smart songs, and Melody’s voice is as enthralling as ever.
Man alive, we’ve always really liked Melody’s space in shimmering psych-pop, but this latest Unclouded album has really incorporated new tones in cinematic soul and it’s just gorgeous. December’s Record of the Month and a lavish way to end the year.
Melody Prochet’s fourth album unfolds as a bright, quietly radiant chapter in the Melody’s Echo Chamber story, elevating her baroque dream-pop with a renewed lightness. Produced and part-written with composer Sven Wunder, Unclouded gathers an inspired cast, with members of Dina Ögon and Dungen’s Reine Fiske creating sonic waves, the smartest avant-garde strings from Josefin Runsteen, the inimitable Malcolm Catto behind the drums, and even a collab with El Michels Affair! Yet it is Prochet’s voice and vision that remain at the centre, guiding everything with calm assurance.
The album borrows its title from Hayao Miyazaki’s idea of seeing the world clearly, and that sense of clarity runs through its blooming strings, mellifluous guitars, and soft, airy vocals. Tracks drift between 90s-tinged pop shimmer and more horticultural hues: the gorgeous “Broken Roses” unfurls on warm, flowering arrangements, while the sprinkles of xylophone on “Burning Man” create something close to a gently landscaped daydream. Even the brisker pace of “Into Shadows” feels part of a larger, soothing continuum.
Prochet leans deeper into the cinematic qualities that have long defined her work. Strings billow, guitars jangle, and her vocals — sung mostly in English — thread everything together with subtle ease. Such a great record, a proper vibe album.
+ Available on exclusive Mint Green vinyl.
Available in three, six or twelve month configurations, you can join the Drift Record of the Month Club and start adding to your amazing collection. Each month you will receive one new album on either vinyl or CD, based on your subscription type. The first delivery (whether CD or LP) will also include a complimentary Drift Pin.
Find out more here.
Recent 'Record of the Month' albums at Drift have included; Kara-Lis Coverdale, Just Mustard, Cate Le Bon, Water From Your Eyes, Folk Bitch Trio, Durand Jones & The Indications, Stereolab, Walt McClements, Los Pirañas, Darkside, Delivery. White Denim, Kim Deal, W. H. Lung, Kit Sebastian, The Big Club, Orquesta Akokán, O., Mdou Moctar, Gustaf, Adrianne Lenker, William Doyle, Bill Ryder-Jones, Harp, Hotline TNT, Black Pumas, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Georgia, Cory Hanson, Overmono, North Americans, H. Hawkline, Yo La Tengo, The Murder Capital, Goat Girl, Black Country, New Road, Jane Weaver, Dry Cleaning, Squid, White Flowers, Stephen Fretwell, Chubby and the Gang, Low, BADBADNOTGOOD, Damon Albarn, Geese, Silverbacks, Cate Le Bon, Huerco S., Daniel Rossen, Kevin Morby, Vintage Crop, Viagra Boys, The Lounge Society, Jockstrap, Trevor Beales, Aoife Nessa Frances and Sarathy Korwar.