Kit Grill - Swimming in Honey (2023)

Gliding through an overture of lustrous phasing and sonorous undertones on 'The Vine' – the sound of entrancement on a shoreline – Grill transitions into lower-case dream pop anthems ('Country Boy'), wistful interludes situated in some hallowed space between Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and The Durutti Column ('Madeleine', 'In a Landscape'), as well as upbeat, infectious love songs that have all the sequenced, evergreen effervescence of New Order circa 'Power, Corruption & Lies' ('Crimson').

Beyond the pop bliss and spellbinding atmospheres, there are creeping moments of melancholy evoking crepuscular scenes ('The River Runs Blue'), and gorgeous lullabies that could be the curtain closer to a John Hughes film, if measured by the restraint of an English voice ('Fly Like A Swan').

Together these distinct vignettes form an evocative story, and though Grill's work has always drawn out sounds and moods that have left an engaging impression, here the imprints have become specific and filmic, tied to contemporary everyday experience and urgent matters of the heart; music guided by a composed, candid voice.

For Grill, 'Swimming in Honey' is marked by the art of narration and visualization, as well as the newfound influence writing lyrics has had on his work: "Swimming in Honey is a collection of stories based on personal experiences where themes of love, romance, longing, and departure run throughout the album. I thought of these recordings like a film, where different scenes, stories and moods twist and turn up until the end. Musically, across the nine tracks I have aimed to create a sonic landscape that reflects my version of a country record weaving storytelling with sound."