Album Review: Tara Nome Doyle, Ekko

Berlin-based artist Tara Nome Doyle took her listeners to interesting places on her two previous albums. 2020’s Alchemy followed the four phases of alchemical transformation, while 2022’s Vaermindealt with the Jungian psychological concepts of persona and shadow.

It might feel like heavy fodder for an LP, but Tara’s gift is in her subtle, graceful approach to her music; her moody instrumentation and delicate vocals make for absorbing listening, and she has a particular knack for making big ideas feel personal and intimate.

Ekko is less of a cohesive concept album than the others. It is, in the words of the artist herself, “a journey that ventures outward into the unknown and inward to the depths of the self.” The album is more minimal, more stripped-back, and sparser than anything she’s done before, and therefore more vulnerable.

The tracks rely heavily on delicate piano and strings, as well as soft-yet-swooning melodies and thoughtful harmonies. On highlights like ‘Heaven In Disguise’ and ‘Hinter den Wolken’ (‘Behind The Clouds’), you’re giving such direct and intimate access to Doyle’s personality, at times it feels like you’re in the room with her.

8/10

Out now