Carla dal Forno - Confession - Kallista Records
Australian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Carla dal Forno became a well-known figure in underground scenes ranging from indie to synth-pop and new wave. Since her very first release “You Know What It’s Like” in 2016, back then on (sadly) discontinued British Blackest Ever Black label, several singles and albums followed. She now returns with her new album “Confession”, a twelve-track long player full of intimate compositions and stories told by her wonderful, authentic voice.
Personally, Carla dal Forno’s music has always been a steadfast companion in moody times. Listening to her albums in one sitting during these periods provides a comfort that is more than the sum of its parts. Songs soaked in melancholy to sink in on the one hand, softly uplifting and catchy slow dance hits which bring optimism back in sight on the other. A sparse recording set-up, consisting of electronic guitar, bass, keys, a few amps and several drum machines linked to one computer. Her healing, ethereal voice rises above it all. Experimenting inside these same technical limits is a crucial part of her signature sound. That’s what makes her music always very familiar and nostalgic, one is able to linked to all the emotions you connect with previous releases.
Given these parameters, this new album is exactly what her fans (as I’m sure I’m not the only one) have hoped for. But still, since her last release “Come Around” (2022), lyrics and compositions on “Confession” are more private and intimate, as the press release indicates:
“An album about closeness that arrives late and unexpectedly. About stability rubbing up against desire. About the way friendship can suddenly tilt into something charged — and how that charge unsettles everything around it.”
Long press releases are not necessarily better, and as this one’s spot on, it’s a good case in point. This unusually short one is one tiny side aspect of the freedom Carla dal Forno is enjoying by releasing on her own label “Kallista Records”. Since 2019, she only releases on her imprint, which she runs supported by her partner.
The album gives us the whole range of Carla dal Forno’s unique sound: super catchy pop hits like Going Out and Blue Skies, or slow, mellifluous pieces like Confession or I Go Back. On the other hand, fans of her wistful songs will get what they came for: Under the Covers (an ode to her long-time relationship with her partner), Nighttime or Gave You Up (does exactly what is says on the tin) - they all harken back to her previous melancholic style. She even put four instrumental tracks on this release, which still fit into the same two categories of her beautiful work: Drip Drop and Off the Beaten Track are for the fans of slightly psychedelic Indie ballads, coupled with On the Ward as well as Staying In for the heartbreak-afficionados.
For her long-time fans as well as for those who just discovered her work, It’s very reassuring to know you have this new album of hers in your back pocket for harder times!
