On her new album Consciousology, Dot Allison reaches a perfection of her unique brand of folk and electronica that was at hinted at on her last fine full-length. But here in 2023, the former One Dove singer has crafted her best work yet. This is a stunning record, one full of moments both stark and lush.
The orchestral swells of opener "Shyness of Crowns" segue into the simple opening of "Unchanged", the first single here. This cut, one which is stunning in its simplicity as it starts, opens up in an ascending figure that's a bit stately. There's a sonic similarity for me here with "Stand in Line" by Ride spin-off Hurricane #1; they seem to come from the same place, in a weird way. And while that might be a ridiculous comparison to make, it makes perfect sense when you realize Andy Bell is on this track. Still, for all the praise I'd like to heap his way, it's Dot's magnificent vocal performance here that, when coupled with the theremin of Dorit Chrysler, sends this song into the stratosphere.
"Bleached by the Sun" soars on its own elegant terms thanks to contributions from the string section of the London Contemporary Orchestra, while "Milk and Honey" follows Dot's pristine voice out of the wilderness towards the sun. There's something pure about Allison's vocals, even as the instrumentation on this release is a more consistently realized vision of what I'll call folk-tronica. Any term reduces Consciousology to a record in line with a genre, or a style, but this album seems to inhabit its own atmosphere, one which can best be hinted at by that label. Hearing this, even having heard and loved Heard-Shaped Scars two years ago, is a revelation. I can remember a reaction like this when I first heard Hope in a Darkened Heart, the masterpiece from Virginia Astley. Consciousology is less mannered, less precise (though it is, of course, precisely put together), and more organic. The final two selections here were inspired by Tim Buckley numbers the late Andrew Weatherall placed on a mix for Dot, and there's a stylistic link there in spirit and intention, sure. Still, I'm more interested in how successfully Allison has continued on the road laid out on her 2021 album, and now commanded as her own. This is elegant stuff that pulls at the heart the way the first Blue Nile did. Whatever genre elements Dot Allison embraces here are only tools to craft her own utterly unique, wonderfully beautiful music.
Consciousology by Dot Allison is out on Friday via Sonic Cathedral.
More details on Dot Allison via the official website.
[Photo: Maria Mochnacz]