Nicole Dollanganger - Married in Mount Airy (2023)

I love what Nicole Bell does as Nicole Dollanganger. The Canadian artist for over a decade combines the violence- and love-centred poetry with ambient pop and this is a fantastic, although surprising at first, combination that works so well also on her seventh album to date, Married in Mount Airy.

Bell's child-like voice (and the overall image as well) heavily contrasts with the adult, often unsettling themes of what she sings about and this is something that makes the spine thrill when listening to her albums. Especially that, very much in the way country and folk music does it, the lyrics tell full-grown stories with many details that help the audience to find themselves within Bell's poetry. Amazing story-telling immersion capabilities. The minimalist music accompanying her vocals is equally disturbing: when the instruments sound like not exactly on tune, the whole message sounds distorted as well. But I especially like it when the vocals are complimented by the organ-like synth sounds, adding to how touching they are.

It's worth adding that the music on the album could also safely be described as dream pop, although the dreaminess here can be disputed, it's more nightmarish if anything. Still, the oneiric attributes are very much tangible and make the immersion even more complete. I feel like it's at its top in Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus, making it automatically my favourite track here.

Married in Mount Airy costs 7 USD.

Check: Nymphs Finding the Head of Orpheus

Country: Canada

Genre: gothic ambient pop

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