Phosphorescent

## **Singles from *Phosphorescent***

1. "Skylight"
Released: December 24, 2021
2. "Call Me"
Released: June 15, 2022
3. "Know What I Want"
Released: September 2, 2022
4. "Never Be the Same"
Released: October 7, 2022
5. "Don't Say"
Released: November 18, 2022
6. "Good Enough"
Released: December 23, 2022

***Phosphorescent*** is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin. It was released through her record label Never Fade on 6 January 2023, preceded by six singles.

## Synopsis

Gabrielle Aplin's fourth studio album opens with the sound of birdsong—sweet, melodic chirruping that sustains for the duration of "Skylight," filtering through the spaces in between Aplin's crystalline vocals and the languid, easy hum of warm guitar and soft percussion. It's a fitting start to *Phosphorescent*, blowing through to clear the way for a lushly produced collection of songs that put the UK singer-songwriter's voice front and center. A decade after a chart-topping spin on Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "The Power of Love" launched her career, Aplin here once again teams up with Mike Spencer, the producer behind her 2013 debut album *English Rain*. In the intervening years, Aplin's artistry has evolved from the folky midtempo sound of her earliest work, and the progression continues apace here. Tracks like "Never Be the Same" and "Don't Say" erupt with energy—driving guitar riffs, thudding percussion, choruses that soar skywards—and "Take It Easy" punctuates a crisp melody with electronic flourishes and shiny synth stabs, while "Anyway" layers harmonies for a full-bodied, rhythmic sing-along chorus. Even the mellower cuts gleam. On "Good Enough," Aplin sings of admiration for a lover spurring her to be her own best self as gentle piano breaks in waves over a soft acoustic guitar; "Wish I Didn't Press Send" captures the regret of sending harsh, drunken messages in the small hours of the morning, underlining the feeling with muddy, downbeat bass. Amid all the orchestration of *Phosphorescent*, it is Aplin's elastic vocal that proves the most crucial and versatile instrument. Shifting from honey-toned richness to stretching out a high note on a breath with ease, Aplin flits around the music like a bird on the wing.

## Background

Aplin began writing the record during the pandemic in late 2020, where it was for fun. When she came across "Mariana Trench", it became the concept "inspired by human resilience, reflection and honesty". She noted to *Atwood Magazine*, "I saw the album come to fruition alongside seasons changing and the cycles of life. I saw ducks down the pond by the studio, the eggs being laid, the duck sitting on them and then the ducks being hatched. Just seeing life happening in cycles and living along with that."

The creation of the album incorporated eco-friendly aspects, where she told *The Line of Best Fit*, "Every element has been powered by nature in some way, and that's important to me even if no one else notices it. I like to be involved in a project completely, not just spit out a song every month because Spotify wants it. I want to engulf myself in a project for a whole year and spend time on those details that are really important to me." The article also detailed the cover artwork, where they used the photographic printing process, cyanotype. The vinyl formats also used discarded excess wax, resulting in each single copy being unique. On Twitter, she explained, "It made me consider the environmental impact of creating physical music leading us to make eco-mix vinyl and digital pressings of *Phosphorescent*".

She informed *Total Guitar*, "But as much as I loved the process and loved the songs, they felt very isolated, and I wanted to counteract that in the recording process by making sure it was very human and physical. So the album has a physicality. We made sure everything had a space, even the electric guitars. Everything went through a huge speaker, all the synthesizers went through a Leslie—everything had to have a physical space to counteract the online, on-screen nature of the previous couple of years."

On 28 July 2022, she shared the release date and pre-order for physical copies (vinyl and CD). Originally the album was slated to be released on 13 January 2023, though it moved a week earlier, which she announced on 27 October 2022.

## Critical reception

Josh Abraham of *Clash* wrote, "While this album goes into the retrospective ideology of what could have been, it also dives deeper into appreciating friendship and the small things in life." Lauren Murphy of *The Irish Times* opined, "comes frustratingly close to being excellent, but amid the pleasant filler of songs [...] there are some sparkling examples of her songwriting capabilities." They continued, "It's an album of two halves: either inconsistent or enjoyably varied, depending on where you stand." *Renowned for Sound* described it to be a "deeply honest collection of songs" and her "most vulnerable release".

## Gallery

* 28 July 2022
* Twitter
* 28 July 2022
* Twitter
Track listing
* 4 August 2022
* Twitter
Poster
* 25 August 2022
* Twitter
Live In & Out-Store Show
* 27 October 2022
* Twitter
Show & Exhibition Dates
* 3 January 2023
* Twitter
* 6 January 2023
* Twitter
Phosphorescent Artwork Exhibition (Brazil)
* 24 January 2023
* Twitter
* D2C Exclusive Vinyl
* £27.99
* Standard Vinyl
* £22.99
* CD
* £7.99
* Digital
* £3.75

## References

1. ↑ Turner, Lauren (18 January 2023). "Phosphorescent: Gabrielle Aplin's Honest & Reflective Fourth Album Explores the Physicality of Life". *Atwood Magazine*.
2. ↑ Walker, Sophie (5 January 2023). "A Country Life". *The Line of Best Fit*.
3. ↑ "Gabrielle Aplin (@GabrielleAplin)". *Twitter*. 10 January 2023.
4. ↑ Rogers, Ellie (20 February 2023). "Gabrielle Aplin on Her Love of Vintage Martin and Gretsch Models, Using Electrics Like Synths and Why She Has a Guitar Called 'The Mel Gibson'". *Total Guitar*.
5. ↑ Forrest, Jo (29 July 2022). "Gabrielle Aplin Announces 'Phosphorescent'". *Total Entertainment*.
6. ↑ Abraham, Josh (5 May 2023). "Gabrielle Aplin – Phosphorescent". *Clash*.
7. ↑ Murphy, Lauren (6 January 2023). "Gabrielle Alpin: Phosphorescent – An Album of Two Halves". *The Irish Times*.
8. ↑ Bulbeck, Ryan (2023). "Album Review: Gabrielle Aplin – Phosphorescent". *Renowned for Sound*.

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