Julianna Barwick
“Forever”
Nepenthe (out August 20 on Dead Oceans)
As you’ve probably realized, I’ve been horrifically behind recently, and over the next few weeks, I’m going to make a real push to get caught up. I can’t think of a more beautiful way to start my comeback than the ornate, breathtaking lead single from Julianna Barwick’s fourth LP, Nepenthe. As if she needed a hand in making her music even more dulcet and cinematic, Barwick recorded the album in Iceland alongside Sigur Rós producer, Alex Somers — a man who knows a thing or two about crafting impossibly celestial albums.
Though the album’s lead single doesn’t eschew her signature sound — layered vocals, mantric quality — it feels more collaborative than her previous work, thanks to the subtly stunning guitarwork from múm’s Róbert Sturla Reynisson and Somers’ orchestral filigree. Nepenthe is Barwick’s first time recording an album with others, and though she’s spoken about how strange it was to do, it looks like a masterstroke. “Forever” resolves itself with one of the most crushingly gorgeous climaxes of the year, which hints at what a truly special album Nepenthe looks set to be.
