We don’t always come across such special records. ‘Magic Mountain’ is a poignant and nostalgic tale of fragility. Authentic and perhaps relatable, the album is a snapshot of Sad Cypress‘s younger years, when she was struggling with mental health issues. As she recalls, sharing those songs back then was unthinkable: “couldn’t have stood putting myself out there.” People grow, though. They evolve and learn to deal with their past. So did Sad Cypress: based in Cardiff, she champions a complex and eclectic folk outlook, balancing her output between soothing, light pieces and more dark and reflective efforts.
The emotionally challenged nature of the record also relates to the idea behind the whole project, a mixed music and art project inspired by a soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, speaking about the pain of unrequited love. Perhaps was that very same painful feeling that Sad Cypress felt so strongly, back in her younger years. Mind was racing, thoughts were piling up. Naturally, songwriting became a way to cope with it all. An important relationship came to a halt, crumbling the hopes and dream she had fostered till that point.
‘Magic Mountain’ touches on the disorientation and anger Sad Cypress felt when the relationship ended, combined with the feeling of being voiceless in the face of institutional arrogance. Over ten long and ethereal tracks, the listener will embark on a journey through human nature, change, and rebirth. A worthy listen.
Recommended! Discover ‘Magic Mountain’ on Spotify and Bandcamp:
