The word "diaphanous" was invented to describe Johanna Warren's music it seems. Her sweet soprano vocals lilt and loop between acoustic guitar finger picking that's fine as filigree. But there is a rootedness to her songs as well, steeped in pagan imagery and examining the wide swath of human experience from death to love to attending really awkward parties. I imagine this comparison gets tiresome, but I'd be remiss if I didn't say she reminded me of Clouds-era Joni Mitchell due to their darkly swirling melodies and mythopoeic subject matter.
Warren has a new album out called nūmūn, and it's perfect for woodland wanderings, summer storms, or midnight crystal scrying. As she puts it:
This album is dedicated to The Moon: by honoring her phases, I am restoring balance to my body and spirit; and to the divine feminine: by collectively cultivating her, may we restore balance to our world.
So shall it be.
She's also released a beautiful (and slightly NSFW) video for the track "True Colors," which shows her sky-clad and engaging in initiatory ritual, and art directed by none other than NYC magician Damon Stang.
nūmūn can be streamed over at Bandcamp, you can order hard-copies of the album as well as a hand-bound and hand-printed lyric book there as well. Lovely stuff.
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