I am slightly belated in this, but I was recently tipped off to the fact that Markéta Irglová has a new album out and that means I’m momentarily dropping everything for the sake of it.
“Point of Creation.” Bells and a choir of voices, segueing into an amen of a note sequence. Oh, gosh, darling, and it’s totally appropriate because Markéta sings like an angel. She’s definitely doing that right now. Incidentally, I just Google Translated the album title. It’s Icelandic for “remember.” According to her website, she lives in Reykjavkik now, so that makes sense.
“Time Immemorial.” This one, though, sounds a bit more in keeping with what I know of her style from her first album. It’s more piano/slight percussion/her voice. And I’m sure that in a matter of weeks I’ll know these lyrics better and be able to really appreciate them, but for now this is just wistful and emotional and oh there’s the choir again. She keeps breaking away from the choir at the choruses to just focus the verses on what she’s singing, and it’s really quite beautiful. I feel really emotional about this and it just occurred to me that possibly Markéta’s music is not the best for when I’m kind of emotionally tightroping like I have been but it’s worth it.
“The Leading Bird.” I used to play piano, like I’ve mentioned before (I still can but I don’t often do), so I’m a bit of a nerd for piano-driven music, which Markéta’s always is. This sounds like a slightly unnerving fairytale and I’ll be back in a moment I’m watching the music video. It’s a girl in a ripped dress interpretive dancing in an old house/water/a field and oddly mesmerizing.
“Fortune Teller.” Percussion! As suits the possible subject of the song. Oh, pretty. I’m kind of just letting this one wash over me, it’s very atmospheric and I’m interested. Also, harmonies. There are definitely some pretty harmonies. And quite a lot of vocalizations that I just want to get lost in.
“Without A Map.” And this one is almost entirely vocals, underscored by piano. I’m not sorting through for specific lyric grabs (such is Markéta’s accent that I often need a couple of listens to pick up the full text, which I don’t mind since I want to listen to everything she does so many times) but instead just appreciating the sweeping nature of the melody and the quality of her longer notes. Oh the religious themes are creeping back in from the first track, which is not usually something I groove on but here it works.
“Remember Who You Are.” Confession: I hear the chorus of “Night Surgeon” from Repo! every time I read that phrase. Or hear it said in conversation. This, of course, does not actually remind me of that song at all, and instead continues that theme of sweeping grand storytelling and all that.
“Mary.” This one is a bit sparer, that seems a good word for it, but it’s no less lovely. Oh, and the instrumentation! Also fairytalelike. There’s a beautiful whimsy to this but it also has a gravity to it that I enjoy. Everything she does has gravity to it, I feel like.
“Phoenix.” Starting a capella and in harmony. Working in some twangy strings beyond the intro. Yes, I like this very much. And I’m getting lyrics here very well initially, all flowers and oak trees and things and “the impermanence of all that is.” Very nice.
“Seasons Change.” I’m more than two thirds of the way through this track and I haven’t written anything. I’m just lost in it and I need to think of articulate things to say but it’s so damn pretty and I don’t know where else to go from there. I’m so pleased with this album.
“Gabriel.” Underwater ambient noise. That leads me to believe that this song is actually about mermaids, and the lyrics that I’m picking up are doing nothing to disprove that. Oh and suddenly this got much more driven and suddenly it involves horn instruments. I like this so much. It’s returning to the religious theme, I assume (where else is there a Gabriel on a horse of note), and it feels like the climax to an action sequence.
“This Right Here.” And this is the pastoral conclusion, all sweet and piano-driven and I’m also lost in this one I’m lost in this entire album I want to light candles and turn out all the lights and lie on the floor listening to this.
–your fangirl heroine.
partlydrawn 
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