Emerging from Manchester, electronic trio narcissus are hard to pinpoint into a specific genre box. Instead, they enjoy an eclectic creative vein, exploring the entirety of modern music, borrowing here and there, and eventually painting a unique sonic journey where the keen listener will find joy and enlightenment, and perhaps the motivation to keep going despite our over-standardised reality. Showcasing their productive year, narcissus this week have unveiled their new album, ‘a sense of place’, available in both digital and physical formats (more info here).
What can you expect from the record? Well, it is both modern and vintage: vintage in its idea of ‘electronica’: timeless pieces with relatable vocals. Modern in its execution: each one of the 10 tracks compiling the album features contemporary elements, more akin to a leftfield opera.
Opening with ‘send in the clown’, the record instantly throws us in the deep end, between dazzling arpeggiators and a fierce techno aesthetic, only to get picked up by mellower tones in the follower ‘the window’, even featuring poignant, wide piano chords and charming vocals by guest singer Becki Fishwick. ‘friends of high places’ scrambles the card a fair bit, offering a slice of melancholic trip-hop and elegant beats. ‘a time and a place’ goes as far as embracing anthemic pop rock arrangements, delivering a cinematic number that’s just so magnificent in its shapes.
Overall, ‘a sense of place’ has something for everyone. It’s up to you to discover what exactly that is. Reflecting on the album, narcissus explains: “As well as reflecting the lyrical themes explored across the album, the title ‘a sense of place’ speaks to where we are now as a band in having finally captured our sound as close to how we have always heard it in our heads.”
Recommended! Discover ‘a sense of place’ on Spotify:
