Minimal Drone*GRL - Through A Green Lens

Released: October 20

On her third album through Bricolage, Joanne O'Keeffe (better known as Minimal Drone*GRL) weaves dreamlike scenes of the many various places she she has been throughout her life. Each tracks takes on something of a life of its own, starting one way but quickly changing course into something less familiar. This is established at the very beginning with "Lady of the Mountains," which begins with a lively arpeggio echoing through the space all own until is is replaced by soft synth drones and gentle vocalizations. Throughout much of the album, O'Keeffe utilizes these types of musical themes alongside her characteristic knack for field recordings, though they certainly play more of a supporting role on this album. 

There are also some surprises peppered throughout the runtime including "It Happened Out of Nowhere," which starts us off with the colors of the rainbow being read aloud and then smoothly transitions to soft pads casting out heavenly vibes. "Echoes of Axes" begins with the sound of softly trickling water accompanied by something that falls somewhere in between a soft woodwind and tonal static before bringing us into the secondary motif punctuated by a gentle arpeggio and chirping birds. But even this doesn't last as we then hear wood being chopped and the composition changes once again. The entire album seems to go in such a way - free-form, loosely structured, and always taking its own winding path to what it wishes to say.