– THE PEACEFUL PROTEST –

London-based pianist Maria Chiara Argirò continues to ride the crest of the wave she started earlier in the year when, as one-fifth of the band Kinkajous, she released the excellent Hidden Lines album.

But if you imagined that losing her Kinkajous collaborators might, in some way, diminish her sound, you would be happily mistaken, my friend.

For, in Nautilus, Argirò has released, undoubtedly, one of the tracks of the year. Full stop.

A mellifluous and melody-rich yet deeply cerebral and beautifully-balanced piece, the song bobs from one motif to the next, navigating the rhythmic ebbs and flows as a river does each meander on its way to the ocean.

There are so many highlights here.

Vocalist, Leïla Martial’s middle-eastern scales in the break-down. The subtle yet sublime electronics and programming of Mauro Polito. The way in which Argirò and Martial’s lines intertwine towards the end, embracing each other as their singular melody soars ever higher towards the song’s conclusion.

And this is just the beginning.

45 RPM has been fortunate enough to have been given pre-release access to the album from which Nautilus comes – Hidden Seas – and the rest of the record shimmers with the same magical sheen as this does.

With songs all named along the nautical theme and melodies that – like Nautilus – seem to mimic the seas’ every movement, it is a love letter to the ocean as well as a meditation on the ways in which it divides and yet connects us.

It is, quite simply, stunning and I highly recommend you check it out upon it’s release on 27 September on Cavalo Records.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

SCRIMSHIRE: THE SOCIALS
ABDULAZIZ LOUIS: NIJMA MASHOURA
RŌNIN ARKESTRA: COSMIC COLLISIONS
MARCELL: ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

P.S. You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the 45 RPM Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

– SV –