This is the debut album from UK/international alternative doom band Healthyliving.
Featuring a member of Ashenspire, Healthyliving play a doomy mixture of alternative rock and post-metal. Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief has a duration of 38 minutes, and showcases the band’s expressive talents well.
Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief is an album of emotion. It’s poured into these songs, so that they drip with feeling as they unfold. The style is individual and atypical, taking influence from a range of places, such as alternative rock, post-rock and post-metal, as well as elements of noise rock, grunge, indie, and shoegaze. The end result is music that just strives to be itself, and in this it succeeds well.
The well-crafted music is captivating and memorable. The songs are filled with hooks of the sort that make their mark keenly felt early, but truly seep into you over time. The music is straightforward and direct, but lacks nothing in power or depth because of this. All of the songs are effective, but it’s the slower and more mood-focused ones that are typically the most powerful.
Despite the obvious focal point of the band’s impressive and talented singer, the rest of the music is more than just a backdrop for her enthralling voice. The songs feel optimised to not only make the best use of her vocals, but also to use all of their musical space wisely. This is music that’s been allowed to breathe and grow organically, so that it feels very vibrant and alive.
There’s a delicate potency here that’s undeniable. Frequently hypnotic and always compelling, Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief unfolds with the grace of everyday beauty and intimate darkness as it burrows deep into your heart and mind.
Essential listening for any fan of textured multifaceted music.
Wonderbox Metal 