Alice Phoebe Lou at Haw River Ballroom

As the eyes open and the world first blinks to life, there it is: oblivion. Rather than destruction or collapse, Alice Phoebe Lou’s oblivion is a deep, inky place where motes of softly burning potential gently drift into life. The South African-born, Europe-based singer-songwriter reached past the torrential noise of modern life and into another space to pull out luminous melodies and intimate lyrics, turning them into playful, profound songs that honor the sublime simplicity of her busking years. “Instead of overthinking the outcome and the judgment, these songs are just creating for myself, a coming home,” she says of Oblivion (due October 24 via Nettwerk Music Group)...

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As the eyes open and the world first blinks to life, there it is: oblivion. Rather than destruction or collapse, Alice Phoebe Lou’s oblivion is a deep, inky place where motes of softly burning potential gently drift into life. The South African-born, Europe-based singer-songwriter reached past the torrential noise of modern life and into another space to pull out luminous melodies and intimate lyrics, turning them into playful, profound songs that honor the sublime simplicity of her busking years. “Instead of overthinking the outcome and the judgment, these songs are just creating for myself, a coming home,” she says of Oblivion (due October 24 via Nettwerk Music Group). “Tapping into this unawareness of unconsciousness sounds like bliss. Oblivion is a place where you can forget what others see in you and find your true essence.”Over the course of five impeccable LPs, Alice Phoebe Lou established herself as a musical force, continuing to unveil new facets to her expressive vocals and beguiling songwriting. While that evolution drew rave reviews from critics and her growing fanbase (now totaling more than 2.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify), the singer-songwriter was starting to feel the pressure of needing to constantly build the next stage. While previous albums may have reveled in immaculately layered production, here Phoebe Lou flutters over a simple acoustic strum—the listener placed in the room, in the moment with the lyrical self-appraisal. The songs of Oblivion flow in an almost dreamlike state, melodies looping like concentric circles and wordless harmonies floating through the mix—likely the result of a dedicated stream of consciousness songwriting process. Recorded in Berlin's La Pot Studio and co-produced by longtime collaborators and friends Ziv Yamin and Dekel Adin, Oblivion is a masterclass in push-and-pull subtlety; Alice Phoebe Lou’s voice feels lit by a spotlight and placed on a pedestal even as the songs live in quiet, confident moments. Throughout its ethereal trek, Oblivion drinks in the unknown and holds your hand as you wade into that mysterious depth. Across its stripped-back arrangements, Alice Phoebe Lou turns vulnerability into a mythic strength, contorting uncertainty and conflicted emotions into intimate friends. “These songs are coming from the darker places in yourself, that place of holding something inside and then letting it go, even if it’s embarrassing or vulnerable,” she says. “Oblivion leans into the idea of allowing yourself to let things overflow in order to feel them, work through them, and come out on the other side.” Alice Phoebe Lou invites listeners to explore both her oblivion and their own as well, illuminating a long, iridescent path of the soul and coming out stronger on the other side.

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