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‘In this physical product, may you feel the permanence and timelessness of these songs. May you listen to them as the collection they were intended to be. Flattened into two discs, is nearly two years of observation, process and love. Now, it's yours. — Marie Naffah
'Mother of Pearl' was released by Frictionless Music on 21st June 2024.
The debut album was recorded at The Boathouse Studio in Suffolk during the entire month of June 2023. A short drive from Ipswich, this wooden studio overlooks the estuary where boats pass, samphire grows, and time, itself, seems to slow down. Producers Robin Breeze and Adam Bowers understood intuitively Marie's desire to craft something that fused classic lyricism (inspired by the likes of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles and Joni Mitchell) with flashes of the contemporary (Sharon Van Etten, Bleachers and Big Thief). The result walks a fragile tightrope between modernity and nostalgia. Across twelve beautiful tracks, the album showcases Marie's uniquely honey-soaked voice, her natural gift for storytelling and her ability to explore facets of life in a vulnerable yet deeply relatable way.
Of 'Mother of Pearl', Marie says: ‘I think love pours out of this album. Romantic, platonic, parental, self-directed... and not just the joyous aspects of love but also its complexities, from the tender to the tough. The songs are varied, but linked by lyrical storytelling, honest observations, nostalgic melodies. There are glimpses of sadness and angst and moments of euphoria and sheer hope. I hope listeners drink it in. I hope they sway, dance, hug, cry - whatever the feeling, I hope it bursts out of them.’
Artwork: a Studio Boz x Marie Naffah collaboration.