In a year immersed in amazing records, it’s difficult to stand out, but the new album from Antinoë absolutely does. There is something instantly memorable about it, which forced me to spend more time with it, which forced me to write my feelings about it. The record is called The Fold and it releases on November 21st through Dark Essence Records.
Antinoë is the city of memory and mourning, as the artist puts it. Her name is Teresa Marraco and she hails from Madrid, Spain. The Fold is mostly piano, keys, vocals, and various accents, and Teresa seems to handle it all.
This is no simple singer-songwriter album, however, though there are moments like that. The music here is unapologetically Gothic and dark, full of atmospheric shadows and weight, driven by emotion and longing. The album is shrouded in human mist, abstractions hovering about our heads and earthy darkness hanging below our feet, with powerful vocals cutting through the murk with arresting vibrancy. It is incredibly immersive.
Yes, it’s difficult to describe, but also quite simple, too. Antinoë offers all the weight and darkness of metal and folk, but the foundation is foaming piano brilliance and neoclassical elegance. The most important layer, though, might be Teresa’s wonderful vocals, mournful harmonies, and eccentric touches.
The Fold is all about folding inwards, coming to terms with death and learning to accept the indeterminate nature of the cosmos. It is almost like a celebration of love and loss simply because they are parts of the turning of the universe, the chaotic beauty all around us. And so the album plays to this theme, one song after another, almost like a single composition at times. There is an undeniable beauty in its dark minimalism, but the more one listens, the more it comes to life in layers and in waves.
The Fold has twelve songs, and they are all gorgeous. I currently prefer the first half, but the album is consistent, so that’s just me. Some of the songs are shorter, more like interludes that keep the emotions rolling. The opener “The Night” is like this but is deeply effective in its haunted visage. Other tracks like this are “Indulgence”, “Ulven”, “Når Du Dør”, and “Four Things”. All of these are beautiful, harmonious, perfectly placed in the album, and featuring truly elegant piano performances.
The tentpole songs, so to speak, show up like shimmering visions in this sea of melancholy and feeling. “The Devil’s Voice” is a gorgeous piece with hypnotic harmonies that remind me of Enya. Next is a favorite called “Turn to Dust” with its sinister surrealism and strong piano phrasing. Directly thereafter, we get the one-two punch of “Flock” and “Threshold”. The former is one of my favorite songs of the year with its hushed vocals, mysterious ambience, and strangely catchy chorus. “Threshold” is almost as good, though, with its almost macabre harmonies and mourning vocals. It will sweep you away to secret places.
The second half of the album flows by quickly. The main songs are “Chaos in the Sky”, a candid song with some of the best vocals on the album, “Si Te Dejo Ir”, sung in Spanish, but with some of the best piano and keys overall, and “Light Bringer”, a delicious piece that brings in sunshine through the storm clouds. It gives us the glimpse of hope and understanding that the album has been constructing from the beginning.
The Fold is truly a dreamy experience. Most of the lyrics are in the first half, leaving the second half to feel like a swooning journey into the light. It’s a brilliantly-executed concept and every note has its place. I hope everyone will put on their headphones and give this a try.
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Find Antinoë online:
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Buy my new book, Hearts in Orbit
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The PROG Mind 