Katherine Aly is on the rise and rise. One of the brightest musical talents Scotland (via Greece) has to offer her dazzlingly glowing light shines through the shadows bringing together glorious singles like Glow & Ignite, Pariah , Rules and Pariah with four other songs including her latest single Hype Up and in doing so creates a glittering prize for the listener.
Shadows Are Made of Light Too is a veritable cornucopia of blisteringly beautiful alt-pop anthems, nothing throwaway here, with addictive pop rock and hypnotic electronic rhythms mixing perfectly and lyrics, both thoughtful and celebratory, tackling a cross section of topics ranging from prejudice linked to race, gender and body image to mental health and then through to celebrations of sexuality and being who you are.
The album kicks off in style with an exploration of anxiety in the soaring melody of Glow & Ignite, its refrain so hook laden it will stick with you for days inspiring you to try leave behind the anxieties and thoughts that lay heavy on you, igniting a passion and lifting you from the doldrums allowing you glow like you should.
Follow that with Pariah and you know you are onto a winner with this collection of edifying anthems Pariah is a clarion call to those who have been targeted, lyrically this one of the most powerful and affecting songs in her repertoire, tackling the topic of prejudice with such levels of positivity and defiance that you cannot help but be reinvigorated and face down anyone who would dare to attack anyone because of the way they look, the colour of their skin, or who they love. All power to Katherine.
Never Giving Up on You has another chorus that has earworm written all over it, the slow build of the verses building up to this powerhouse of a refrain backed with the thunder of drums and crash of cymbals.
Another of the new songs Hey Girl brings the pace down, but not the passion. This ABBA tinged celebration of women and non-binary people is, in Katherine’s own words “a reminder of our solidarity and beauty!” Beauty is certainly an adjective that describes this wistful song which manages simultaneously to have both a delicacy and a fervent power to it. Halfway through the album, can things get better?
Well, Katherine’s recent single Hype Up! does just that. OK, let me refocus here. I would be wrong to say the rally call that is Hype Up! betters any of the previous songs on the album, every one of these songs are right up there, each one written to an impeccable standard. It would be hard to choose a favourite song on this album, that would be like asking me to choose my favourite child. Lets just say, with every single Katherine has released, they bring such a level of joy and emotion that I want to listen to each song on repeat. Which was exactly what I did when I first heard Hype Up!
Maybe in Another Life is yet another flawlessly exquisite slice of pure alt-pop genius, its space like electronic intro revealing an enigmatically thoughtful lyric before the instrumentation opens up into a vast swooping cinematic expanse equally matched by Katherine’s soaring vocal. Absolutely sublime.
Shadows Are Made of Light Too’s penultimate song comes in the form of the questioning nature and dreamlike majesty of Rules before this celebration of all that is good in pop music ends on yet another high with one of the earliest released songs on the album, Butterflies. In reaching is emphatic crescendo it leaves you both delightfully sated but also desperate for more. Don’t be afraid to return to the start and press play once again.
This album is an utter joy to listen too. There will be lyrics you can relate to, tunes you can dance to, rhythms you will be inspired by. I will admit. I wasn’t living my best life today. I wasn’t feeling it. I’ve come away from several listens to these songs with a renewed sense of vigour, that I could even describe as a sense of euphoria. Don’t ever discount the power of music. Katherine and her band have created an absolutely inspirational set of songs in Shadows Are Made of Light Too. Let your light shine in you and, as Katherine suggests, dance your way out of your shadows.
The official launch of the album is in Sneaky Petes on Friday 17th June. If you are in Edinburgh at a loose end, I urge you to go. You can thank me later.
One Reply to “Katherine Aly – Shadows Are Made of Light Too – album review”
Comments are closed.