-Io

Chicago singer-songwriter Haley Fohr's newest record is ultra-maximal, operatic, bursting with big emotions. She recorded this with a ten-piece ensemble on top of the usual rock instruments, and she uses the full extent and power of her four-octave vocal range. But the music is so intensely arranged and emotionally all-out that it's more than virtuosic: it's overwhelming and moving. RIYL Scott Walker, Roy Orbison, Julia Holter, David Sylvian. Favorites: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

1. (0:33)—Loud breath, strings ascending dramatically. Play with 2.
2. *(4:34)—Mid-tempo. Severe string vamping. Dramatic ending. "Fading, falling, melting, sinking."
3. *(3:25)—The single. Mid-tempo, dark, focused psych rock. Doubled drums, noir guitar.
4. *(2:42)–Fast, pulsing Suicide-type beat. Whispering, organ. Beat gets louder, song gets maximal.
5. *(5:02)—Mid-tempo. Rising synths, lots of vocal layers. Massive orchestral post-rock second half.
6. *(4:13)—No beat, free tempo. Washes of THX textures and strings. This Mortal Coil "Song to the Siren" feel.
7. (5:03)—Slow, drums enter briefly in the middle. Ominous synths, psychedelic strings. Final third is gentler, with acoustic guitar and soft percussion.
8. (6:08)—Slow, waltz time. Strummed guitar, stand-up bass, military drums. Fuzz guitar solo.
9. (5:40)—Very slow, piano and voice to start. Strings enter gradually. Extreme, bone-chilling second half.
10. (3:54)—Slow. Mostly acoustic guitar and voice, with a minimal beat and background strings. "You'll keep your body and restore your soul six times in your life / each time will be more bold."