Meret Ester is in a class of her own. She wields her music like a magician wields his tricks. Blending dreamy melodic arrangements with soulful echoes, luminous textures and contemplative rhythms, the artist crafts a web of alt folk. It’s so true, simple, and beautiful, a musical train, that if you catch, will take you nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It kind of brings you closer to yourself because it leads you thoughtfulness, beauty, and joy. Her latest release is ‘Taken By Surprise’, an album that details thematic concepts with immersive musical features. Colorful frames, rich landscapes, softening narratives, and magical acoustics.
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‘Falling’ is the opening track. With a little over 1 minute of play time, it elegantly introduces the sonic palette of the album. We see some of her previously released tracks like ‘Postman’, ‘The Magician’ and ‘Flying Carpet’ featured in the album. They tell stories that are so human. Detailing slice-of-life frames, the songs detail mundanity with so much magical emotion. Themes like romanticism, melancholy, nostalgia, storytelling are prioritized. If you enjoy artists like Joni Mitchell, Sufjan Stevens, and Phoebe Bridgers, you’re sure to enjoy the stylistic influences in this album.
In ‘Astronaut’, the artist sweetly orients you to wonder with metaphors and memories. The way she carries her vocals, changing it for each theme is so skillful. She immerses you, claims your attention so mysteriously, so effortlessly. You can’t help but be enchanted. In ‘Blank Mind’, she writes a succinct letter, the soundscape as unyielding as a piece of white parchment. It gives you something that you have to make sense of. ‘Sirens’ is swirling with demons, mystique, and magic.
Like this, with each track, you can see the artist playing with music, manipulating it with imagination, feeling, and sentiment. It feels personal and intimate that it aches. It feels like a painting that you’re watching play out, a painting that suddenly you feel a part of. It works on so many layers because the artistry is not one dimensional but thoughtful, so human. It awakens your thoughts, colors your emotions, and traces a life lived.
‘Cocoon’ is serene and comforting. A warm gush that pleasantly winds around you. ‘Influx’ is an interlude of sorts that flushes you with stimulating light, a ringing sound that carries into you, dazes you and makes you feel like you’re shimmering. ‘Sweet Life’ concludes the album with a feel good song, so light, levitating, and joyful that it settles your stomach, your heart, and your mind. That sense of bliss comes like a breeze, loops and keeps coming back with each verse, with each chorus until the poetry of it all lingers and imprints. Listen Now!
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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!
You can listen to ‘Taken By Surprise’ by Meret Ester here –
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