“Whelmed”

J a n u a r y,  recorded Whelmed in Copenhagen. It is produced by the Danish Duo Thor Finland and Steffen Aaskoven of Bliss. It is a combination of smart production, masterful arrangements,  and a willingness to follow melody and tune above and beyond genre or format. The music is all soft and tender with an extreme aesthetic discipline. Her songs melt inextricably into each other with a sonic palette of synth oscillations and atmospheric reverb, advancing and receding within them like shadows.  Percussion is employed sparingly as the rhythm is organized into the subtlest of beats that collide gently against the classical instrumentation and the tender strings played by the Copenhagen Cello Quartet in a way that seems to clarify each. The sparse backing allows Januarys  distinctly rich and emotive vocals to create  warmth and sweetness while the vocal overdubs create an echoing,  almost haunting feeling via lyrics that tale a longing for love and togetherness and intertwine metaphor and the process of human relationship to the world and each other providing layer upon layer of luxurious, uplifting, undeniably spiritual warmth. Magnificent, in every sense. Released on January’s label. January Music in 2017