Clarissa Connelly

Thought i'd make a thread for Clarissa Connelly who is just about to release her second(?) album, this one on Warp. She's based in Denmark but I think she has Scottish roots and her music is very vocal-focussed with a twisty unpredictability to it, and elements of liturgical music, folk, drones, electronics, and maybe even a touch of math rock? All of what I've written could be factually and descriptively so wide of the mark (i should really have done some research) so please don't take my word for it, have a listen - here's a couple off the new one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hivPQ9xCXw
Clarissa Connelly - An Embroidery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DhH3uBLqfE
Clarissa Connelly - Life Of The Forbidden

And here's a couple of older ones...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGX2lomWf9k
Clarissa Connelly - Theresa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05hJWn4c--A
Clarissa Connelly – Holler

hey let's throw in a random comparison - maybe somewhere between joni Mitchell and These New Puritans?

just reading the wire piece and her stated influences are Enya, madonna's 'ray of light', joni's 'hejira', Kate Bush, and also Mike Oldfield's 'Incantations'. Not sure I've ever listened to that last one?

Sounds great--v comparable to ML Buch in terms of her peers/contemporaries

Yes definitely a relevant point of comparison but less Fleetwood Mac and more Hildegard von Bingen

She's great. And yes, very vocal focused. She did an a capella show at Roskilde last year with seven other women, including Erika de Casier. That was pretty great as well.

oh yeah i remember seeing some footage of that here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cuj0mpQMFGN/?img_index=2

looked amazing

one of those pieces was Wee Rosebud off the new one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YgKgYgZhlg

flawless voice, one of those things that really takes me out of myself

ok gonna go and see her in london in may, yesss. missed her last year, she was touring with jenny hval iirc

It was a pretty crazy lineup for that a cappella thing. Astrid Sonne is there as well, and Fine Glindvad, who co-wrote two songs on the NewJeans ep with Erika de Casier. That's quite a lot of starpower for a weird little choral-folk thing.

i still need to check out astrid sonne!

This stuff is excellent, thanks

glad you like it, would be interested in your thoughts

new song "written as a dialog between work and desire" is very late period kate bush, maybe a little bit these new puritans too...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaRGdsrw_U8
Into This, Called Loneliness

this album is going to absolutely slay isn't it?

I don’t know how I got here
But I know that loneliness is here

You said:
You know you’re alone?
That’s how your soul was born
Into this, called loneliness
“Loneliness!”

And I said;
No, you’re wrong
We were born in love
And we’re blessed, with holiness
“Holiness!”

I don’t know how I got here,
Can you hear that I’m singing?
But I know, that loneliness is here
Can you hear that I’m singing?
But I know that loneliness is hell
I don’t know how I got here

You said:
Then how could the wind rise?
And dry out thousands of eyes?
Bringing silence to our cries
“Our cries!”

And I said:
It’s Because, the earth sears
We haven’t heard her tears
And in silence, loneliness appears
“Appears!”

I should have told you; It’s hell
Will we all end up here in the end?

Into This Called Loneliness is a dialogue between work and desire.

Work stating we are born alone and will die alone, desire saying we are born into the great beauty of the world.

Representing an inner discussion, whether to believe in god, or a greater beauty, or believing in the physical realm."

Would be very easy to make overcook that sort of subject matter, but it all sounds so light and alive to me

her voice simultaneously recalls enya+liz fraser? i'm in.

just reading the wire piece and her stated influences are Enya, madonna's 'ray of light', joni's 'hejira', Kate Bush, and also Mike Oldfield's 'Incantations'. Not sure I've ever listened to that last one?

― Bernard Quidbins (NickB), Monday, March 11, 2024 12:05 PM

(*ahem*)

EVERYONE.

DIGS.

JONI.

hadn't thought about liz fraser but yeah i definitely hear that

album out today, please excuse my jaw from dragging on the ground

I have to say it is quite prog

This is remarkable. Love it.

will give NickB the credit of knowing when I will go absolutely ape for something, holy shit

this is a flawless win

haha I knew it! :D

It perhaps tails off a bit in the second half but 'side one' is incredible

Oh I love the whole thing unreservedly. Second half has The Excess Of Sorrow, Laughs and SOS on it and they're mindblowing. Annoyed her London gig is sold out (am on waiting list) but I'll just have to listen to this repeatedly

Fae Fife.

Her previous album is lovely too, you can hear her straining away from clear and present influences and into something that is entirely hers, which this time around she has blown up into an astonishing universe (and absolutely one of the best albums that could come out this year)

If anything I slightly PREFER the second half tbh

I like but don't love this, it is a little too indulgent for my tastes, but the previous album is exceptional

Second half has The Excess Of Sorrow, Laughs and SOS on it and they're mindblowing

Listening to it again today and yes these are great. I think there's a lot to take in and my ears are a little impatient at times. Still trying to get my head round it all tbh

At this point the whole album is That Good but the last three tracks have become especially dear to me

I wrote a review (warning: contains fashionable pop at taytay and her critical support base sorry Tim I don't mean you honesssst) (other warning: was inspired by boxedjoy's criticism above; I'm not mad, more thankful you gave me the perfect angle) and this is an extremely good breakdown of her (wonderful) concept: https://www.clashmusic.com/features/track-by-track-clarissa-connelly-world-of-work/

Oh great, will read those later!

Hearing echoes of Judee Sill's Jesus Was A Crossmaker in Song Of The Sword. Also enjoying in that song where it's at its lushest vocally, she suddenly pivots to 'she sang the song of death!' in a menacing growl

superb gig tonight, there were bits of it that practically set my brain on fire. some stunning set pieces, quite a few film cameras around so hope there'll be some decent video to come. did you manage to make it imago?

no, it was sold out even before you hipped me to her, annoying as she'll be even harder to get tickets for next time (assuming this is the Front Row Seat To Earth phase of her hype cycle)

oh bum, that's too bad!

front row you say?

https://i.ibb.co/ckzJk56/20240515-210306.jpg

Haven't stopped listening to World of Work since discovering it a few weeks back. Just feels completely of its own.

And the ep length thing called Tech Duinn has not yet mentioned, but that's very much worth hearing too. De Novo has an Enya feel, or perhaps I'm getting hung up on that plucked/pizzicato synth sound. And the track 'A Blessing' is just that.

Looks like she's playing Rough Trade in August too

Oh is she? We wonder if I've been informed in time, this time

Stuck this on again to see if it really is that good. Yeah it really is that good

Was fucking aaaaaahhhhh incredible

Played two new new songs and my god

ah lovely! was that at Rough Trade? she's at the ICA in November too in case you missed that news

she made it very clear haha. was also incredibly lovely at the signing afterwards

Played two new new songs and my god

― imago, Thursday, 29 August 2024 21:56 (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink

https://clarissaconnelly.bandcamp.com/track/give-it-back

Love to see an artist with new music the same year they released a (fantastic) record.

This might be even better than anything on it, and it's virtually my AOTY

tremendous!

are you off to see her at the ica imago?

i'm away in caravan in dorset unfortunately

certainly am, she did ask me to lol

Think I've listened to this 30 times since yesterday, friends have been messaging me about it, what an incredible song.

I don't know how in the loop your friends are but my call that her next album will be a 'Titanic Rising sized event' isn't looking so foolish

Hah, I wonder if/hope it'll be soon!

great stuff this

video here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSrce-NS4Q0

Oh no! London show at the ICA has been postponed for health reasons. It's to be rescheduled for 2025.

Had just seen this week that Fine was announced as the support act. Would love it if that's also the case for the rescheduled show.

yh hope she's okay

get well soon CC!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tXq4GnNFw0

north american tour in november!!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DMN44lZosdI/

I guess this is where we find out if she's got Weyes Blood levels of clout in her. She puts on an amazing show that I'm glad I saw twice last year