Gina Graves - And We Rise (Self-Released)

Gina Graves is a singer-songwriter from Wilmington, Delaware, and her new album And We Rise is a fantastic slice of lushly-produced, theatrical dream pop. Although Graves has been a professional singer for two decades, this album marks something of a new chapter in her creative career. Consequently, it’s a richly personal record, but the intent is relating to the universal through the personal. The dramatic quality of the songs makes it inherently uplifting and the message of And We Rise is without a doubt ultimately optimistic, but there’s a brooding intensity as well that reminds one of Tori Amos or Bjork.

The album begins dramatically with “Everything You Are,” a perfect example of what Graves does best: combining melancholic piano ballads with larger than life pop hooks. She turns this into even more of an art form with optimistic songs like “I Am Light” or the title track “And We Rise,” which is about the urge to transcend the ego and embrace love. And We Rise is produced on a surprisingly grand scale for an album that was essentially recorded all at home by Graves, and it will undoubtedly serve as one of the most uniquely individual artistic statements in the genre in recent years.