When Humans Had Wings is the solo project of Alicen Grey, and she weaves quite a tale surrounding her new concept album UGLY. It is inspired by a vision quest she had where she met a deep sea anglerfish as her spiritual guide. She originally rejected its wisdom because of its appearance, but once she was ready to accept the ugly, this album was born.
By Graeme Smith
Ugliness isn’t all about physical appearance, of course, and Alicen takes on the darker side of human nature in her new album. As the album progresses, we follow the anglerfish deeper down into its ocean world where the darkness within us also dwells…
The album opens with ASCENSION. There’s a nice mix of light and dark in it, mirroring the shallows of the ocean where the light still gets in. Alicen’s quirky personality is immediate in its jovial intro before we get some heavy synths and unconventional piano fusions. Genre-wise, it’s impossible to place, with pop, jazz and rock all meeting to create something wonderfully unique. Fans of Lets Eat Grandma will definitely approve.
LIVE FROM GRANDIO CITY starts with a stirring melody before hitting a slow-simmering arrangement with prominent percussion. A soaring chorus showcases Alicen’s charismatic vocals and her knack for descriptive lyrics. PLEROMA is a glitchy hip-hop-infused wonderland. LOST gives us a broody, intimate slow-build before transitioning to something pleading and expansive. It’s a highlight.
WITCH is suitably sinister, with looping piano and industrial undertones. DISSOLVE is shadowy and delicate before exploding into a cathartic spoken word climax. SISTER plunges the depths of introspection before finding a reluctant percussive groove and a primal scream of a crescendo. THE LIGHT IS is an emotional moment with biting lyrics underpinned by a heartbeat drum.
Title track UGLY gives us trance-inducing electronic textures and vulnerable vocals. It beautifully recreates the stillness of the depths of the ocean, both physical and personal and is another highlight.
ANGEL IN THE DEEP is a raw and honest moment that feels like a turning point. It’s the point where the light begins to shine through the darkness, arriving with a rousing soft rock arrangement. LOVE IN THE VOID then closes the album with an exposing moment where Alicen’s unique power is at its most apparent. It’s a beautiful finish.
UGLY is, in a word, breath-taking. The world is sleeping on When Human Had Wings, truly. Alicen is one of music’s great innovators. It’s surely only a matter of time before that’s recognised across the world. You can check out UGLY for yourself below.
