This is the second album from Christopher Sawyer, a dark rock solo artist from Poland.
Together Nowhere, Alone Elsewhere contains 44 minutes of music of a style that I don’t typically listen to a great deal, but that’s devastatingly effective nonetheless.
So where’s my new Rosk album, eh? Eh? 2017’s Miasma was just fantastic. What a great band. Why bring this up here? Well, the artist behind Christopher Sawyer is the vocalist of Rosk, that’s why. Here though, the emphasis is not on black metal, but on a nebulous style that’s closer to Rosk’s 2019 acoustic release Remnants,
Together Nowhere, Alone Elsewhere is harder in some ways to define than Remnants though. Although related, it’s not a repeat of that release, and takes less from post-rock and neofolk, and more from dark pop and chamber music. The promo text sets the scene nicely – “For fans of Ólafur Arnalds, Agnes Obel, SYML, Keaton Henson, sad indie singers from Scandinavia, but also film soundtracks or neoclassical composers of the likes of Ludovico Einaudi or Yann Tiersen.”
Together Nowhere, Alone Elsewhere is an album that is intimate and introspective. It’s deeply affecting music that’s heartfelt and well-delivered, never failing to provoke an emotional response in the listener. Adopting a singer songwriter style, with a largely piano-based approach that’s enriched with ambient electronica, acoustic guitar, and strings, the artist has succeeded in creating strong music with character and depth.
The vocals – so important to something like this – are extremely well-performed. The artist has a voice capable of both power and nuance, and it’s put to impassioned use throughout. I’m reminded of the singers of Autumnblaze and Anathema, in places.
Together Nowhere, Alone Elsewhere is a record of cinematic scope and intimate appeal. If you’re partial to this style of non-metal music then this is an essential listen.
Wonderbox Metal 