Few album themes are as universal as heartbreak, but Montreal goth-folk singer/songwriter Flower Face (Ruby McKinnon) has reinvented the form on her utterly raw, beautifully bittersweet new project, Girl Prometheus. Even better, heartbreak has propelled Ruby into a new, prolific phase of creativity; Girl Prometheus is only the beginning.
A multi-hyphenate artist, Ruby McKinnon is known for creating melancholic folk music with a bedroom pop heart. Taking inspiration from her own vertiginous life experiences, alongside such varied sources as Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, Jesus Christ Superstar, the oeuvre of Mads Mikkelsen and her dog Ziggy, Flower Face’s musical testimonials recall the jagged emotion of Bright Eyes while conjuring the ethereal ecstasy of a fresh wound.
Following 2022’s critically acclaimed The Shark In Your Water, Girl Prometheus showcases 11 new tracks that each, in their own way, celebrate Ruby’s survival and revival. Whispered, acoustic moments intertwine with cinematic, room-filling compositions to form an album that is as intensely personal as it is relatable.
After experiencing a shocking breakup, Ruby started writing more than she had ever before—to the point where writing itself took on new meaning. "This year I’ve been writing in a way that feels transcendent,” she says. “This sounds cliché, but it’s almost like finding religion. For the first time, I dove headfirst into creation and let everything else go. It’s been like constant revelations, it’s overwhelming but it’s beautiful. It's become less of an ephemeral thing that just seems to happen to me sometimes and more of a tool for survival. I’ve realized that to me, my writing is paramount—it’s the only thing that matters. As long as I have that, I’m okay.”
Produced by Marcus Paquin at Studio PM in Montreal and partially recorded offsite at a secluded lake house, Girl Prometheus as a title started out as a joke after Ruby and some friends went to the movies to see Oppenheimer. “There's a quote at the beginning: ‘Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and gave it to
man; for this he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity,’” Ruby says. “My friends would say, ‘You're like Prometheus if he was a girl, because you're being chained to a rock and tortured for eternity by your love. You stole love from the gods, you brought it to a man, and now you're being tortured eternally.’”
Girl Prometheus might be suffused with pain, as its author fought to process an unexpected life shift, but it emerges victorious. Flower Face has grown new roots, and they are stronger than ever.
“…heartbreakingly relatable and nostalgic at every turn…”
– Alt-Press
“McKinnon’s voice has a delicate ache perfect for any heartbreak playlist.”-
–American Songwriter
“…crystalline indie folk creations, reminiscent of the emotional vulnerability found in Weyes Blood, Lucy Dacus, and Bright Eyes.”
–Under The Radar
“Blessed with a remarkable degree of world-building, she’s confident enough to invite others in – first mapping out a peculiar cosmos, and then sharing it with others.”
–CLASH
“With haunting harmonies and lyrics that drip with a range of anger, forgiveness, fondness, and sadness, the structure of the song takes you through the journey of trying to get over someone, an experience that is both universal and isolating at the same time.”
–FLAUNT
“…emotionally immersive artist… sings the sinews of those skin chords in a melancholic way few artists can, nor even attempt…”
–Ones to Watch
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten