Angelo De Augustine's Tomb is a shrine to a former relationship. While the title suggests De Augustine's third full-length album is full of sepulchral tones, Tomb has a lightness to it. De Augustine is immersed in love throughout, so while he's working through tough stuff, we are ultimately left with the feeling that De Augustine is growing stronger and that love will bloom again.
Produced by Thomas Bartlett (Sufjan Stevens, St. Vincent, Rhye), Tomb is a tender recording. A handful of the tracks wobble with electronic beats, while most are grounded by a piano and acoustic guitar as an array of instruments swirl above like the ceiling after too much to drink.
Whatever the instrumentation, De Augustine's voice is soft, weary even, but is never tiresome. His gentleness is self-soothing and combats the sting of his lyrics. As De Augustine tries to regain his footing after his breakup on "You Needed Love, I Needed You," a delicately guitar-picked track, he expresses his willingness to love ("Did I give too much love to you. I'm sorry but it's what I had to do") which feels like a dedication to live well.
On "Time," another piano and guitar focused track, the perseverance of De Augustine's love shines again when he sings: "Yes, I'll try, hope for love." It's this hope that De Augustine clings to that makes Tomb an unexpectedly celebratory affair.
(Asthmatic Kitty)Produced by Thomas Bartlett (Sufjan Stevens, St. Vincent, Rhye), Tomb is a tender recording. A handful of the tracks wobble with electronic beats, while most are grounded by a piano and acoustic guitar as an array of instruments swirl above like the ceiling after too much to drink.
Whatever the instrumentation, De Augustine's voice is soft, weary even, but is never tiresome. His gentleness is self-soothing and combats the sting of his lyrics. As De Augustine tries to regain his footing after his breakup on "You Needed Love, I Needed You," a delicately guitar-picked track, he expresses his willingness to love ("Did I give too much love to you. I'm sorry but it's what I had to do") which feels like a dedication to live well.
On "Time," another piano and guitar focused track, the perseverance of De Augustine's love shines again when he sings: "Yes, I'll try, hope for love." It's this hope that De Augustine clings to that makes Tomb an unexpectedly celebratory affair.
