The songs comprising Keeley Forsyth’s debut are, she states simply, “like blocks of metal that drop from the sky.”
With its minimal arrangements placing her recollections and dissections of sometimes harrowing experiences front and centre, Debris showcases her elemental voice and an outpouring of candid, haunting lyrics detailing the seismic ruptures which take place behind closed doors. “There was a lot going on in my life that was heavy and hard,” she adds. “Songs were made under that moment.”
Born and raised in Oldham, Forsyth first made her name as an actor, and while the creation of music has been a constant feature in her life, she’s taken the long road to its release. A deeply intuitive and singular musician, she began writing several years ago, accompanying herself on harmonium and accordion.
“I came up with lots of songs in a very short space of time,” Forsyth recalls. “Most songs were written in the time it took to sing them. But I held them close, and often thought I needed to do something with them. It never felt right to go out and look for it. I felt like I needed to wait and move when I felt inspired.”
That inspiration struck one evening while listening to the radio, where she first encountered pianist and composer Matthew Bourne’s work. “I heard his music and suddenly I could hear them both together,” she says of her songs and his compositions. “I felt compelled to write to him. He got straight back and said he loved what I was doing.” What followed were quick and instinctive collaborations with Bourne and producer and musician Sam Hobbs, with the initial burst of momentum Forsyth felt when writing carried through into the studio, preserving the intricacies and accidents that make an album human.
credits
released January 17, 2020
Keeley Forsyth - voice
Sam Hobbs - Fender Rhodes, synthesisers, drums & percussion, programming
Mark Creswell - guitar, bass
Matthew Bourne - piano, harmonium, LAMM Memorymoog, cello
All songs written by Keeley Forsyth (copyright control)
Lyrics by Keeley Forsyth/bAs (copyright control/Mute Song)
Song arrangements & additional composition by Sam Hobbs (copyright control), Mark Creswell (copyright control) & Matthew Bourne (Mute Song)
Produced & mixed by Sam Hobbs at rebel elements, Wharfedale
Mastered by Lewis Hopkin at Stardelta
Magic in its purest form. I love Floating Points, I love Pharoah Sanders, I love The London Symphony Orchestra. It's a match made in heaven, and the result is absolutely gorgeous. I have loved this record since its release, and realized I don't own it for some reason. So its time to change that. 9.5/10 honestly could become a 10/10 on an indepth vinyl relisten. angrypizza98
Like so many others, this came like a bolt out of the blue and, even though it's well before payday, I had to have this astonishing album on vinyl to prove it exists. The feel of the tunes makes me feel like the Impressions do, Curtis Mayfield, the big spaces and instinctive horns and stuff drifting in and out. Great grooves and I can see lots of ghosts nodding along to this with big smiles on their faces. At last! Anthony Cottrell
Tender and gorgeous songs from this Brooklyn duo, “and then all over” is a striking, evocative work full of hushed beauty. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 11, 2021
The deep, dreamy music from this L.A. artist puts the emphasis on his soft, soulful vocals, resulting in low-lit love songs for late nights. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 18, 2016
Baker follows up her recent debut album with an Audiotree Live performance during which her powerhouse voice simply shines. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 12, 2016