Mother Melancholia
| Mother Melancholia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 22 October 2021[1] | |||
| Recorded | 2018–2021[A] | |||
| Studios |
| |||
| Length | 44:53 | |||
| Label | SMIT/Lovitt Records | |||
| Producer | Sóley Stefánsdóttir[3] | |||
| Sóley chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Mother Melancholia | ||||
Mother Melancholia is the fourth solo studio album released by Icelandic singer-songwriter Sóley released in 2021. The album was "inspired by the mass suicide of mankind and destruction of life led by capitalism and toxic masculinity".[3] The Reykjavík Grapevine described it as "a eulogy for the planet and humankind".[6]
Background
The album was planned for release much earlier but this was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
Mother Melancholia was Sóley's first album to be released independently, after her first three albums were released through Morr Music. After completing her record deal, she felt that she now had "a new sense of freedom" and felt freed "from the pressure of the music industry".[8]
For this album, Sóley bought a cello, theremin and mellotron and experimented with these instruments. Playing other instruments rather than the familiar piano allowed her to "be free from the complex classical background".[6] Sóley described the album as "Nosferatu meets Thelma and Louise in a vampire church under the watchful eye of David Lynch".[9][10]
Eco-feminism was a large influence on the album.[6] Sóley stated that the album was conceptualised as representing "the end of the world", with feminism and the environmental impact of humans on the planet becoming part of the album's themes.[7]
The album's opening song and lead single "Sunrise Skulls" was inspired by the #MeToo and SlutWalk movements.[9][10] The song tells a story of a group of women who rise up and fight the patriarchy.[10] "Blows Up" is a "sarcastic love letter from the Earth to humans".[10] The song "Desert" is dedicated to the next generation and is about the guilt Sóley felt leaving her daughter to "take over this inevitable war".[10] "Sundown" is a "dark piano ballad" which details "humankind's final day on earth".[10] The penultimate track "xxx" has a "dark and swirling soundscape that swells before fading to silence".[10] The final track "Elegia" sees the silence "[turn] to the sound of the ocean", and the Earth "[heals] on her own" like "a woman finally free from a violent relationship".[10]
The album cover is a photo of Sóley that was drawn over and edited by her husband Héðinn Finnsson (also known as Íbbagoggur).[7][3] The cover art is meant to represent mother earth, who is "tired and angry".[7]
The album's title is a "homage" to the films Mother! (2017) and Melancholia (2011).[8]
Reception
The Reykjavík Grapevine named Mother Melancholia as joint "Album of the Year" of 2021 with Eilífur snjór í augunum by kef LAVÍK. The magazine described the album as "a dark, deep exploration into the feeling of the end of the world, imminent death and destruction, as well as the complexity of a feminist riot surging within the heart of a woman". The magazine also felt that the album showed the "incredible depth within Sóley as a musician".[8]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Organisation | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Icelandic Music Awards | Open Class – Album | Mother Melancholia | Won | [11] |
| Open Class – Song | "Sunrise Skulls" | Nominated | [12] | ||
| The Reykjavík Grapevine | Album of the Year | Mother Melancholia | Won | [8] | |
| 2022 | Nordic Council | Nordic Council Music Prize | Nominated | [13] | |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Sóley Stefánsdóttir.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sunrise Skulls" | 7:41 |
| 2. | "Circles" | 6:21 |
| 3. | "Blows Up" | 5:37 |
| 4. | "Hysteria" | 1:50 |
| 5. | "Parasite" | 3:23 |
| 6. | "Desert" | 4:06 |
| 7. | "In Heaven" | 4:13 |
| 8. | "Sundown" | 3:29 |
| 9. | "xxx" | 2:20 |
| 10. | "Elegia" | 5:49 |
| Total length: | 44:53 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Bridges Collapse" | 6:04 |
| Total length: | 50:57 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Parasite" (Extended version) | 10:18 |
| 12. | "Circles" (Accordion version) | 5:34 |
| Total length: | 1:00:45 | |
Personnel
Credits taken from the album's Bandcamp page and the CD booklet.[1][3]
- Sóley Stefánsdóttir – Music, words, production, arrangements ("Desert", "Circles" and "Sundown")
- Íbbagoggur (Héðinn Finnsson) – Art direction, additional production, album artwork and design
- Albert Finnbogason – Additional production, final mix
- Sarah Register – Mastering
- Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir – String arrangement ("Sunrise Skulls"), arrangements ("Desert", "Circles" and "Sundown"), orchestrations
- Jón Óskar Jónsson – Drums
- Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir – String Quintet (Viola)
- Sigrún Kristbjörg Jónsdóttir – String Quintet (Violin)
- Guðbjörg Hlín Guðmundsdóttir – String Quintet (Violin)
- Alexandra Kjeld – String Quintet (Double Bass)
- Þórdís Gerður Jónsdóttir – String Quintet (Cello)
- Sunna Ben - Photography
Mother Melancholia tour
Sóley embarked on a tour in support of the album in November 2021.[15]
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 November 2021 | Göteborg | Sweden | Kulturhuset Oceanen |
| 2 November 2021 | København | Denmark | Hotel Cecil |
| 3 November 2021 | Århus | Musikhuset Aarhus | |
| 5 November 2021 | Hamburg | Germany | Kulturkirche Altona |
| 6 November 2021 | Berlin | Passionskirche Kreuzberg | |
| 7 November 2021 | Erlangen | E-Werk Kulturzentrum | |
| 8 November 2021 | Freiburg Im Breisgau | Jazzhaus Freiburg | |
| 9 November 2021 | München | Technikum | |
| 11 November 2021 | Mannheim | Alte Feuerwache | |
| 12 November 2021 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Paradiso |
| 14 November 2021 | Brussels | Belgium | Le Botanique |
| 15 November 2021 | Paris | France | Point Ephemere |
| 16 November 2021 | London | United Kingdom | Colours Hoxton |
| 18 November 2021 | Brighton | Patterns | |
| 19 November 2021 | Bristol | Beacon Foyer | |
| 20 November 2021 | Leeds | Belgrave Music Hall | |
| 21 November 2021 | Glasgow | Centre for Contemporary Arts |
Release history
| Release date | Format | Label | ID No. | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 October 2021 | Digital download/Streaming | Sóley (Independently released) | [1][16][17] | |
| LP ("Library Red" vinyl) | Lovitt Records | LOV94 | [1][10] | |
| June 2022 | CD | SMIT | [3] |
Notes
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Mother Melancholia". Bandcamp. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 "CIRCLES ACCORDION VERSION (2018)". Bandcamp. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mother Melancholia (liner notes). Sóley. SMIT. 2022.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ↑ "Sunrise Skulls - Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "Parasite (extended version)". Bandcamp. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Reetta Huhta (9 November 2021). "Sóley Reveals The Sound Of An Apocalypse". The Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Best of Baltic Entertainment (2022-01-03). Sóley on Mother Melancholia, musical journey and personal challenges. Retrieved 2026-05-09 – via YouTube.
- 1 2 3 4 Fontaine, Andie Sophia; Grettisson, Valur (7 January 2022). "Album of the Year: Sóley & kef LAVÍK". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- 1 2 Cerys Kenneally (1 October 2021). "Sóley announces Mother Melancholia concept album with new single "Sunrise Skulls"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Mother Melancholia - Sóley". A Number of Small Things. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ "Verðlaunahafar" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 October 2024. Select "Verðlaun" and year "2021"
- ↑ "Verðlaunahafar" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 October 2024. Select "Tilnefningar" and year "2021"
- ↑ "Sóley Stefánsdóttir". Nordic Council Music Prize. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ↑ "Sóley - Mother Melancholia". Lovitt Records. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sóley Announces New Concept Album Mother Melancholia & Shares New Single 'Sunrise Skulls'". Circuit Sweet. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ "Mother Melancholia". Apple Music. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "Mother Melancholia". Spotify. Retrieved 9 May 2026.