Iris Marlowe - Where the Devil Bid the Owl Goodbye (2022)

Our anticipation was at an all time high, but finally the day has come that Iris Marlowe’s newest album Where the Devil Bid the Owl Goodbye is out! Please read on for our glowing review of the record, in addition to an update on this artist.

In our last review for her single “Shed Your Skin”, you could probably tell our sights were set on this day arriving, but it has and the album has over delivered in our expectations. For the uninitiated, Iris Marlowe has been teasing her newest album Where the Devil Bid the Owl Goodbye for quite some time, and this modern country western marvel has floored us with its consistent twists, turns, and attention to detail. It should probably go without saying, but we’re urging everyone out there to celebrate its release with an uninterrupted listen.

Crafted to become an “homage to classic storytelling in country western music”, Iris is front and center in making sure that goal was achieved. Coming in at 10 total tracks, the artist immediately immerses the listener on the opener and title track to give them a taste of what’s to come, but the record really feels like it opens up on “Stop Me Now”. Her vocals are powerful, emphatic, and lead the charge throughout, but she’s backed up by screaming guitar solos that really give this listen a much needed edge. With a focus on the production to make sure there was a cohesive feel from start to finish, she’s provided us with the “lost art” of an album experience which unfortunately has lacked nowadays. There’s certainly a ton of leeway within the genres that are covered and expressed, but not a moment passed that made us lose focus.

With a short film set to release on May 31st in accompaniment to the album, we’re actually on the edge of our seat to be able to witness a visual aspect. So much of this experience hinges on storytelling and picture painting through words, so to take what we’ve imagined and put it on screen should be an interesting venture to see how close we got. We’ll make sure to update once the film sees its official debut.

It needs to be reverberated once more, but this isn’t an album that you should have on shuffle or skip around with. We suggest starting from the beginning and letting it run through untouched. Please do yourselves a favor whenever you may be reading this and check out those links below to listen, follow along, and stay tuned for more news on the way.