Weyes Blood — And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow — Album Review
Alternative | Chamber Pop | Singer-Songwriter
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
And in continuation of the rising realisation that November has surprisingly been one of the best musical months of the entire year, it has also brought us one of the most highly-anticipated albums of the year. And that albums comes from none other than Weyes Blood, the musical alias of chamber pop singer-songwriter Natalie Laura Wearing.
As many other people may have done, I discovered Weyes Blood through her phenomenal 2019 masterpiece Titanic Rising, the last album that she had released before this brand new record.
When it comes to what I enjoy about Weyes Blood and her musical style, her vocals are unquestionably one of those qualities. Her angelic voice really moved a record like Titanic Rising upward, along with all of the vibrant production, and gripping narrative.
But I suspect I’ve written enough about Weyes Blood’s previous album; it’s now time for me to put my focus on her brand new album, and the fifth in her discography. Its name; And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow.
This album was teased by two tracks, in the later part of the year. The former, “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody” was the essential slow-burning, heart-tugging ballad that glimmered with a sheen of importance. And while that track certainly had me excited for the release of And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow, it was the latter teaser, “Grapevine”, that had my hopes skyrocket. This track just had every single element of it come together perfectly, to make what felt like a truly seamless composition.
Not to mention that my first listen of “Grapevine” was pretty near to the full albums release. That being said, my excitement for the album was still very fresh.
The most striking thing about this album, regarding its qualities, would be the narrative. Weyes Blood certainly didn’t disappoint storytelling-wise on her last album, and the same can definitely be said for this one. And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow weaves a narrative focusing on the undying hope for love, against all odds that the uncertainty of the modern world throws at us. It absolutely succeeds in encapsulating that desired to be loved and understood, and wraps it up perfectly in bittersweet tones.
And thus, it allowed this album to get off to an incredible start. The first half of this album especially brings us slight familiarities in comparison to Weyes Blood’s previous album, which definitely helped fans of that album (like myself) get immersed in the beautiful soundscapes all the easier.
I will say, however, that all things considered, I would still say I prefer Titanic Rising. And I think the reason why would be the later half of this album. The further the album went on, the more the tracks felt like they were aiming to be a little more accessible. As a result, I feel like this gave Weyes Blood less creative freedom to really channel her unique sound, which as we saw on Titanic Rising, creates a chain-reaction of beautifully grand proportions.
On top of this, this album also had a small handful of “interlude” type tracks, which serve as transitional timestamps with their ambient sound. These tracks include “And In The Darkness” and “Holy Flux”. And while I do appreciate the small amount of narrative sense these types of tracks have, it is still a bit of a pet peeve of mine.
Nevertheless, with all my petty gripes out of the way, it goes without saying that And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is still an incredibly gorgeous album; one that takes a very unique and engaging approach to the tried and tested love album.
Favourite Tracks: Children of the Empire | Grapevine | God Turn Me Into a Flower
Least Favourite Track: In Holy Flux
Sub Pop Records
