PHANTOMIME

If you'd told me a week ago that the new Mori Calliope album would be one of my favorite albums of the year... I'd probably believe you, honestly. When "Go-Getters" first dropped, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed that song, given that I'd never really enjoyed much of Mori's music before that point, let alone loved it like I did with that track. Needless to say, I was intrigued, and was excited to hear whatever she put out next, and now that time has come! "PHANTOMIME" is out now, and after listening to it for myself... I'm honestly blown away that this was done by the same person. This is such a massive improvement on all fronts. THIS is growth, THIS is what artistic evolution looks like, and THIS is what I've been waiting for since the start!
You can tell by listening to it that Mori really pushed herself on this album, musically, vocally, and conceptually. I'm so used to the same delivery and style that Mori brings to every track, and the same lyrical topics seem to pervade her work, but here, none of that is the case. There are genuinely beautiful tracks here, and that's due to the vocal performances, instrumentals, and newfound honesty and introspection in the lyrics. Not every song here is just trying to be a hip-hop banger, there's a candid nature to the lyrics and music that feels a lot more personal and honest than anything that came before it, and there were moments here lyrically that felt incredibly moving to me.

Beyond the obvious improvements to her sound, though, I also feel that this record represents Mori Calliope experimenting with genres that, in my opinion, suit her much better. Because not every song here is a gorgeous ballad or a hip-hop track, no, there are also tracks here that dip into the sounds of alternative metal, and what immediately struck me about these tracks was how perfectly they fit with Mori's usual vocal and lyrical style. Whereas many of the lyrical topics on previous projects used to fall flat for me and feel like awkward inclusions for a hip-hop project, hearing these same (or similar) ideas being tackled in a metal context makes so much more sense and works way better, in my opinion. Plus, the healthy mix of more thoughtful and pretty tracks, as well as fun and energetic ones, gives the album a great flow from song to song and makes it work way better as an experience. To put it more simply, I was never bored. Awesome release, genuinely couldn't be happier to say that I love this album, and am excited to hear whatever Mori comes through with next.