Deptford Goth (Daniel Woolhouse) has a new album out, a quick turnaround from his 2013 debut Life After Defo. Songs is a sturdy step forward for the English songwriter. He’s found his lane within a crowd that is beginning to include Damon Albarn and Sampha, a keyboard songwriter with orchestral interests.
“The Loop” is one of the album’s most effective. Here more than anywhere else on the album, Woolhouse creates a blissful swarm of voices. His vocals never soar above or distract from his instrumentation, even when there are three or four Woolhouses at work. The mumbling falsetto snuggles in next to harps and sparse percussion, creating a sound that is simultaneously vulnerable and warm-hearted. “It’s okay if we’re afraid, when the light begins to fade,” Woolhouse sings, “and darkness takes over.” It’s both reassuring and a bit fatalistic. Not unlike the end of Melancholia.
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Stream “The Loop” below. You can get Songs now on iTunes.
