It’s hard to put your finger on what genre to place Belfast singer-songwriter Alfie Norma in. The release of his latest EP ‘Rhubarb Season’ puts forth a unique and charming fusion of dream-pop, irish trad and folk, that’s enough to make any fan of experimental music become totally smitten.
‘Rhubarb Season’, eloquently self-produced, manages to embrace the traditional soundscape of its acoustic echoes and the electronic pulse that drives throughout each track.
Opening with a cover of Laura Marling’s ‘Take The Night Off’, Alfie Norma creates a montage of deep hazy vocals, heart fluttering strums and delicate melodies.
Explaining how the concept of how the overall sound of the EP came about during the first lockdown he reflects on how, “I started to miss and appreciate dance music since all the clubs were closed; so I started teaching myself more about electronic production, and tried to incorporate more folk instruments and rhythms until it got to a place that sounded exciting”.
Standout tracks such as ‘Jumpscare’, ‘Slip’ and ‘Come On Down’ take on trippy rhythmic ideas with the expansive texture of a folksy slipstream.
The likes of Wolf Alice, The National and even Bjork can be heard in the DNA of the tracks, however speaking of inspiration, Norma reflects on how, “I love people who try to make new types of music that sounds like the place it comes from, and because I made it all in Belfast, a lot of the influence came from acts like Bicep, SOAK and Lankum”.
Listening through I can also recognise the footsteps of Joshua Burnside, but delving deeper into an eclectic synthesised atmosphere.
The EPs spaced out undertones of psychedelia combined with very raw, real and intimate lyricism serves for a breath of fresh air that stands out among a lot of new NI music today.
