OUR LIGHT AND AFTER

Vylet's followup to the emotionally heavy Tales from Equestria. It would seem that Zelda's emotional deep-dive has made an up-turn.

1. "Floating" (2:23) pensive piano and ukelele play a duet of the main melody with odd radio and space noises a constant in the background and the appearance of accordion/harmonium/melodica (I cannot tell the difference). nice, gentle, pretty, and not too depressive (though it does still sound like the music of a hikikomori). (4.75/5)

2. "Destiny Station" (4:00) Ryuichi Sakamoto-like melodies played with a koto-like instrument over beautiful if muted lo-fi electronica "band" funk-groove. Vy joins in with her beautiful voice at 2:35, replacing the koto-thing with her singing of the joys, amazement, and implied gratitude of having a (re-)union with a loved friend for a daytime outing. Absolutely stunningly gorgeous (and hope-filled) song despite the odd use of "koto-thing" and cheesy synth horn to play the main melody in the first half. (9.75/10)

3. "Spirits" (3:33) Vy and her long-time collaborator, GalazySquid, share lead vocal duties--singing the main melody's lyrics together at times--over a gorgeous lo-fi brastep four chord piano-and-synth wash progression. more beautiful lo-fi music with Vy's gorgeous laid back voice singing her accepting-yet-introspective observations (9.5/10)

4. "Ember" (5:09) Vylet sings over a rather mainstream pop-soul chord progression (using jazz-pop chords--sounding a lot like a Bruce Hornsby version of GENESIS/Phil Collins' "Hold on My Heart") a fairly emotional song with a fairly straightforward vehicle about the "ember" of hope, love, and meaning that she's (re-)discovered (another person? perhaps something/one inside herself?) that has given her reason to feel as if her life has taken a turn (for the positive). (8.875/10)

5. "Our Light and After" (4:20) another light, melodically-engaging earworm of a song with Pepper Mei contributing lead vocals (Vy in the b vox). After the dreamy-nostalgic first minute, the song jumps into a fairly simple and accessible sequenced electronica motif for about 50 seconds before subduing into a cool two-hit-per-chord progression of synth chords over which Pepper Mei continues singing about choices and power one can have in one's life. Then the EDM lite motif returns for another minute before the music decays into treated piano and synth cor anglais for the finish. Simple but beautiful and not over-stimulating. (9/10)

6. "Nowhere" (4:03) ukelele chord strumming and piano/synth & programmed drums (and clapping) beneath Vy's plaintive voice. (Man! She has a gorgeous voice: so much longing and pain being hidden in those scratchy-breathy notes!) The dreamy reverb palette used beneath the vocals in the third minute are so effective--thick strings and "distant" piano. Another beautiful tune about having to leave/give up the former haven of Equestria knowing that the [couple or group] will have each other and their own dreams and survival mechanisms to live off of. (9.25/10)

7. "Far Away From Home" (3:20) more ukelele chord strumming, this time sustained alone for about 25 seconds before piano joins in beneath. At 0:49 a cartoon-like little girl voice enters expressing its fear (to Stella--the speaker's "home") about having to leave Equestria. Then Vy enters singing around 1:40 with distant sustained saw-guitar playing between the verses over the gentle walking paced-drum machine. (8.875/10)

8. It Rained Today" (2:31) a repeat of previous themes, chords, and melody lines from strummed ukelele, "distant" piano, melodica, scratchy radio noise sample on repeat, and muted drum beat. (4.3333/5)

Total Time 29:19

I am so pleased for the return of some happiness and perception of beauty in Vy's world (if this music has any role in reflecting her truth--as it always has before this). She has been working through the pain of expanded realities of the cruelties of human life--of both adulthood and newly realized childhood events (that have been perceived as traumatic). I had the feeling that Trixie's beautiful spirit had far more strength than the demons that pass by (or try to occupy) her.

A-/five stars; a masterful collection of songs that I cannot, of course, include among the year's best albums due to its extreme brevity. But, I want to jump for joy for the growth and healing Zelda has (apparently) traveled through.