Just under a year after releasing her début single of the same name, London songstress Megan Wyler provides us with a remarkably well-made collection of music. Combining the worlds of folk, electronica and dreampop, you wouldn't think that such a detailed record as 'Through The Noise' would be possible just yet. This doesn't have the feel of a first album, but Wyler's total output prior to this is just three singles. There are a few keys that unlock the secrets to the success of this album though, and the writing ability and stunning voice of the lady in question are naturally top of the list, and her experiences lead to the album feeling as much like a journey as merely a collection of songs.
In a way this mirrors Wyler's life, which began in the mountains of Colorado (she tells us there was no electricity or plumbing until she was a teenager) through to her current home in the UK's capital. Credit is also due to producer Adem Ilhan for taking these compositions and bringing the best out of them. If the name isn't instantly recognisable, then we can tell you he's a multi-instrumentalist as well as producer, having played with experimental outfits such as Fridge, Four Tet and Silver Columns. Add to that producing the forthcoming new album from Radiohead's Phil Selway as well as scoring Armando Iannuci's film 'In The Loop' and you can see that we have two people with life experience as well as renowned musical experience. He even goes so far as to share vocal duties on previous single 'The Fraying'. It proves a perfect match.
New single 'The Fool' starts the album as essentially a dream-folk track that gently introduces the spine-tingling aspects and intricately-woven sounds that hallmark the record. The aforementioned title-track could be considered folktronica (with the emphasis on the folk part) or even country-tronica were that a genre. If a future single is to be released then may we suggest the gorgeous, twinkling 'Drown' which contains similar elements. The uptempo 'Everyman' should be an anomaly but fits in just fine. More simplicity and purity can be found on 'Can't Sleep' (which has the faintest air of Mazzy Star to it), 'Know You Know', 'Kelebek' and especially the occasionally bare emotional acoustics of 'I'm Sorry' which really show the passion in those vocal chords, and likewise the staggeringly pretty 'Zither'. 'Through The Noise' is more than just an album to listen to, it's an album to fall in love with.
Megan Wyler's website
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