Exploring the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Shadow Gordon features on these pages for the first time with his album A Happy Ending For Orpheus.

By Graeme Smith

After establishing himself as an ambient artist with a string of EPs and singles, Shadow Gordon’s new album sees him venture into the world of synthpop to tell its mythology-inspired tale.

The album opens with the dreamy and ethereal prologue Cascade and we immediately get a sense that we’re in for something different with A Happy Ending For Orpheus. Moody electronica forms the bedrock onto which soft and soulful vocals are poured, delivering storytelling lyrics.

It leads nicely into Stranger Bloom which bristles with bright whimsy. Gentle synths meets some unexpected experimentation that builds to an emotional climax. Everything We Ever Wanted takes things in a darker direction with some severe percussion and a sense of wistfulness.

Descend Alone introduces elements of indie rock swirling among lo-fi sensibilities. Rain on the Lake is atmospherically textured and rich with melancholy. Song for Eurydice lightens things with an airy and stirring composition full of romance before Ascend Together closes the album in a driving fashion with overlapping synths that rise and fall before coming to a finish that will linger long after the last note is played.

If you’re looking for a record in which you can get lost today, then you need look no further than A Happy Ending For Orpheus. With it, Shadow Gordon marks himself out as a fascinating composer who is able to craft music that’s rich with challenging experimentation and relatable emotion. Despite its mythological references (or maybe because of them), it’s an album that gives us a very human story, one that is articulated brilliantly.

A Happy Ending For Orpheus is out now and you can check it out below.