Exquisitely composed and honestly realised, Moses Sumney’s debut album Aromanticism sets out to question our society’s perceptions and expectations of love. Against a backdrop of sumptuous and subtle instrumentation, Sumney pulls apart the archetype of the lovesong, ruthlessly exposing his own fears and vulnerabilities in the process.

The word Aromanticism was coined by Sumney himself, and means ‘without love’. Through his own twisted process, Sumney came up with the word first, and then wrote the entire album around it. Gospel, soul, jazz and even chamber-music influences come together for a softened, electronic r’n’b sound that is entirely Sumney’s own. He’s stated that he, “wanted to capture that moment as you’re falling asleep, or right when you wake up, when you’re still one foot in and one foot out of the dream world, and everything is really murky and you feel like you’re floating” – and it’s this dreamlike haze that unifies all the disparate influences, leading to an uncommonly cohesive piece of work.

The intensely personal lyrical content of the songs can make it a difficult listen – seeing someone so naked almost makes you want to look away. ‘Plastic’, with its hints of Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse, is a confession about male strength as an act which conceals deep insecurity. ‘Lonely World’, featuring Thundercat on bass, grows to a crashing and frenetic drumbeat which Sumney has described as a sonic representation of intense loneliness. ‘Make Out In My Car’, with its gorgeous flute and clarinet, sees him take solace in the simple and concrete: “I’m not trying to go to bed with you – I just wanna make out in my car”.

Elsewhere the songs are intended to be less autobiographical. The epic composition ‘Quarrel’, with its several breaking crescendos, takes as its subject a couple from different backgrounds: one is in an unspecified position of power, so that the song examines the effect of social structures on relationships. The language is purposefully vague, although Sumney has said he was thinking a lot about class when he wrote it. Partners, he says, are not necessarily equal: hence the line “don’t call it a lover’s quarrel”.

Sumney’s falsetto resonates throughout the album as he reaches for the sweetest notes and culminations of melody. Sometimes using as many as 50 vocal layers, his voice forms at times a luscious bed, at others a sharp edge. Although Sumney’s singing style can make the words hard to understand, a close listen reveals delicate and rewarding wordplay: “I know what it’s like to behold and not be held” or “You need a solid but I’m made of liquid”.

The thesis of the record comes in the form of ‘Doomed’, where Sumney asks “Am I vital if my heart is idle. Am I doomed?”. This central question makes the album in some ways an exploration, in others an act of catharsis, and puts its sorrowful themes at odds with the overall tone of the album, which has the comforting feel of a lullaby. A complicated album, it demands the full attention of the listener. For a debut effort, it’s quite remarkable, and leaves us in no doubt of his unique talent as a singer, writer and composer.

Ben Noble

Website: mosessumney.com
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Twitter: twitter.com/MosesSumney