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‘Doomed’ consists of nothing more than a truly haunting vocal performance from Moses Sumney over the backing of subtle synthesisers. It almost builds in the manner of a Sigur Rós song. The melody starts as if it is tenderly being sketched; you clearly see the figure that is being drawn but it is yet to be clearly fleshed out. As the song progresses the melodic lines are drawn more forcefully; you begin to read a depth of pain that was not apparent earlier. By the end of the song, the combination of the tender shading and the forceful lines give us a clear picture of a melancholic figure, struggling to connect with the world around him.

Moses Sumney is a singer who is almost a cross between an R&B singer and Bon Iver or Sufjan Stevens. His music seems to be an experimental, present-day iteration of deeply traditional music. Like Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon or Sufjan Stevens, he is a singer/songwriter for the laptop age. They are artists uninterested with merely being ‘the next Dylan’. Their music reminds you that there is material of worth in the present day and in the past, that there are things we can learn from each without making an unnecessary choice between one or the other. Moses Sumney is a singer who is just as likely to accompany himself on a guitar as he is to sing a cappela with autotune, or to collaborate with Skrillex like on ‘Hundred Waters‘. Saying this, it’s his more electronic tracks like ‘Doomed’ that really capture my attention. I only wish real loneliness sounded this beautiful.

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“I Need a Forest Fire” is just one of many heart-stopping songs on his album but it is perhaps the best in terms of vocals and harmonies that take you to another dimension.

“I Need a Forest Fire” combines two simply ghostly voices that seem so frail yet so pure. Like a lot of Blake’s and Iver’s music it has a simple, flowing electronic beat that plays a supporting role to their magical voices. Bon Iver takes the lead in the verses only for them both to combine and create harmonies trembling with emotion in the chorus. Blake’s third album is scattered with collaborations and this comes fresh after his cameo in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade“. Blake has said that he wanted to let more artists into his work and move away from being so isolated when creating his music. We are ecstatic he has decided to combine with such brilliant artists and has created some truly mesmerizing tracks.

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“The Colour in Anything” is now available via Polydor on iTunes.