Photo provided by artist.
From Brooklyn, New York, Fleur Geurl arrives on the blog with the ethereal chamber of folk track “stone in the stew.”
If I said the words serene, dreamlike or otherworldly, they would accurately describe the mood of the indie folk song “stone in the stew.” But this is by no means a conventional folk track. Yes, it will please fans of Sufjan Stevens, but there are undercurrents of Enya, Brian Eno and early Grimes when you scratch beneath the surface. “stone in the stew” is just more haunting and delicate.
Built around the hypnotic arpeggios on guitar and restrained piano, the music drifts and floats with an undercurrent of melancholy. Tender touches of texture are applied to the rootsy, earthy foundation, building the track into an immersive sound world that crescendos cinematically. The result is utterly captivating.
The vocals of Fleur Geurl sit at the heart of the music. The delivery feels incredibly intimate and close, contrasting the vast, open soundscapes around it. The performance is breathy, vulnerable and almost conversational. Subtle shifts in phrasing lend the vocals a fragile beauty, while layered harmonies give the track a spiritual dimension.
The lyrics of “stone in the stew” explore growing older, confronting difficult truths and learning to accept life’s uncertainties.
Beautifully atmospheric and lingering, “stone in the stew” is taken from Fleur Geurl’s second album 11:11 which is out now. Connect with Fleur Geurl: Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
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