Written Into Changes - Vinyle Rouge Translucide

Description

Change, they say, is the only constant in life. And indeed, multifaceted musician Avalon Emerson seems perfectly at home channeling the perpetual flux of her existence into *Written into Changes*, her introspective second album released under the name Avalon Emerson & the Charm. A work of rigorous creation and retrospection, the album explores themes of personal and relational evolution, which only became fully clear to Emerson once the album was complete. The creation of *Written into Changes* was, logically, very different from that of *& the Charm*. Where that album was, according to Emerson, “soft and very bedroom,” the energy here has clearly stepped up a notch, with the artist thinking from the outset about how her tracks would work live. The result is a band-driven album, rich in grooves and close to the dance world. "Eden", supported by breakbeats, displays a “baggy” sound that evokes the dance-rock hybridizations of the late 80s and early 90s. "How Dare This Beer", full of wit, was written as an affectionate tribute to The Magnetic Fields. Nathan Jenkins, aka Bullion, who previously co-produced *& the Charm*, returned to oversee the bulk of this new album. Much of the recording took place in Braintree, England, from winter to spring 2024. The two tracks co-produced with Rostam Batmanglij, "Jupiter and Mars" and "Earth Alive", were recorded in Los Angeles. Synth touches were then added at Rosen Sound’s Synth Cabin in Glendale, California. Although the collaborative process of *Written into Changes* deviates significantly from Emerson’s solo productions designed for the dancefloor, the influence of electronic music is omnipresent. Emerson focused particularly on the bass. She also wrote the melodies and lyrics for *Written into Changes*, drawing most of the latter from her personal life. The title track, one of her favorites, evokes her move from Berlin to Los Angeles in 2020. The frenetic "Happy Birthday" exudes a sunny energy, carried by gently devastating lyrics. "Eden" and "Country Mouse" are declarations of love for her relationship with her wife, Hunter, while "I Don’t Want to Fight" and "Earth Alive" speak of the moment one realizes that you cannot change others, and that sometimes you have to love them from a distance. *Written into Changes* is an album that not only accepts change but fully embraces it. The idea of progression runs through both the music and the project's backstory, to the point where the title itself describes a conscious approach to artistic expression and life.