The emergence of ‘Metanoia’ serves as a profound sonic rupture, a short yet immense collection that refuses to settle into any comfortable genre classification. Under the moniker Adele Dazeem, the trio of Charlie Heart, Philippe O’Connor, and Frank Andrews has constructed a landscape that feels less like a traditional recording and more like a psychological excavation. The architectural weight of the release is bolstered by the production of Rory Atwell, whose fingerprints are visible in the way the instruments occupy a space that is simultaneously vast and uncomfortably close.
Opening with “Misère,” the record immediately challenges the listener with a harmonic palette that feels both ancient and startlingly modern. There is a relentless momentum here, driven by a rhythm section that seems to breathe in unison with the melodic lines. The songwriting credits, shared between the trio, suggest a democratic approach to composition where no single ego dominates the frame. Instead, the music flows with a liquid logic, mirroring the surrealist imagery of the Hieronymus Bosch figures that adorn the cover.
The transition into “Deep Sea Hand” marks a shift toward a more pressurized environment. The arrangement here is sparse but intentional, allowing the subtle nuances of Adam Bushell-Jones’s mastering to shine through in the low-end frequencies. It is a piece that demands an active listener, one willing to submerged themselves in the murky, reverberant depths of the trio’s collective imagination. The interplay between the musicians suggests a deep, intuitive shorthand, where a sudden silence carries as much weight as a heavy chord.
As the record climbs into “Mezanin”, the atmosphere becomes increasingly liminal. This track acts as a bridge between the physical and the metaphysical, utilizing a rhythmic pulse that feels like a heartbeat heard through a wall. The restraint shown by the performers is remarkable; they avoid the obvious crescendos of their contemporaries in favor of a steady, simmering energy. Atwell’s mixing ensures that every textural detail from the scrape of a string to the hum of an amplifier is preserved with clinical precision.
The title track ”Metanoia,” concludes the experience not with a resolution, but with a transformation. It is a sprawling, ambitious piece that encapsulates the core philosophy of the release: the idea of a fundamental change of heart or mind. The composition folds in on itself, layering melodies until the distinction between individual instruments becomes blurred. It is a daring finale to a record that prizes internal evolution over outward spectacle. By the time the final vibration dissipates, Adele Dazeem has left a permanent mark on the listener, proving that ‘Metanoia’ is a work of significant intellectual and emotional depth.
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