Colorado folk duo Woven Hollow, formed by Anna Murphy and Van Wampler, draw us into a deeply human and immersive world with their new album, "Figure of Light." The pair creates a meeting point between traditional acoustic storytelling and contemporary production, over nine expertly crafted tracks that fuse folk instrumentation with fine pop and electronic influences.
It's an emotionally rich album that delves into uncertainty, relationships, resilience, and the search for clarity. The emotional heart of the album is the title track, "Figure of Light," a song about finding warmth and direction in uncertain times. The record's emotional depth is further explored in "Ten Feet Under," which explores themes of grief, longing, and acceptance, followed by "Raw Feet," which is about the frailty of human endurance, about that feeling of standing alone in hard times.
The duo featuring Rochelle Riser offers a kinder take on "Don't Worry Darling," emphasizing the comfort and safety of authentic relationships. "Reruns" is a reflective song about the struggle to let go of memories, and it's a reflective break that's already resonated with you. Another album highlight is the emotional contradictions of "Battle Line" featuring 42RAE. The textured vocals, field snare, and string arrangements all come together to create a compelling portrait of the difficulties that can exist in close relationships.
"Shade of Solitude" grapples with openness and loneliness, while "Shined Too Bright" is a sprawling centerpiece that explores intensity, fatigue, and emotional burnout. The last track on the record, "Chaparral," is an earthy, acoustic resolution, suffused with nature, and brings the journey back to a place of calm reflection. With contributions from fiddle, banjo, tenor guitar, classical guitar, trumpet, flugelhorn, violin, viola, cello, and field snare, "Figure of Light" sounds at once timeless and cutting edge. Mixed by a variety of engineers, mastered by Idania Valencia at Sterling Sound, it creates a cohesive identity while allowing each song to tell its own story.
