GLUME - THE INTERNET
The Internet is a fascinating album and a strong debut. Record label Italians Do It Better have carved themselves out as a champion of alternative, genre spanning and out of the box music, and Glüme is no exception.
LA based artist Glüme releases her debut album The Internet; an exploration of a world the ex-child actress feels disconnected from and incompatible with.
Born and raised in LA, Glüme began exploring music whilst tackling various autoimmune issues that eventually resulted in her developing Prinzmetal angina, a rare heart disease which closes the arteries and causes episodes of heart attack-like symptoms. When asked about ‘What is a Feeling’, the latest single from the new album, Glüme says: “I had a doctor once tell me my feelings were doing my heart more harm than good. I left wanting to completely disassemble my emotions and throw them in the trash. I studied emotions from physical and philosophical perspectives to see if I could outsmart them. But feeling less wasn’t an option.”
Self described as ‘feeling like her body and soul aren’t quite compatible with this world’ Glüme ‘loves visiting and writing about the people here.’ Otherworldly and mesmerising, The Internet really does feel and sound just a little bit alien, with space age synths and Glüme’s wistful vocals creating songs that transport the listener to another world.
Opening with the melancholic sounding Arthur Miller, complete with sad sounding Wurlitzer, music box-like synth sounds and sweeping strings, the song conjures up images of old Hollywood, and Broadway. With spoken verses that sound like Marilyn Monroe (whom Glüme seems to to model herself on) lyrics seem to tell of the dangers that often lie beneath the glitz and glamour of the movie world, and the fragility and vulnerability that comes with being a star, ending with a gunshot and the words: “She was like, well, how can you put it? She was everything, and it was a disastrous combination”.
‘Body’ is a hypnotising track, the repeated up-down scale motif acting like the pocket watch swinging in front of the listeners’ face. Glüme says: “‘Body’ is about returning from an episode I get with my heart disease; starting to notice each part of my body working again. It’s an intense feeling; you want to be loud; express relief; sadness; feeling powerful but you’re still weak.”The lyrics are evocative, really tapping into the vulnerability and fragility of this experience, the frustration caused by not being able to articulate the experience to people who don’t suffer themselves: ‘I am breathing (I am listening)/I am listening (I can see)/I can see (I can feel)/I can feel (I am bleeding)/I am bleeding (I’m not whispering)/I’m not whispering (It’s a scream)’
The rest of the album takes on a much more synth driven vibe with songs like ‘Crushed Velvet’, ‘Blossom’ and ‘Porcelain’ using synth effects, reversed tape sounds to create soundscapes akin to those of Dr Who circa 1963 and conjure images of Barbarella and the world of David Lynch.
The Internet is a fascinating album and a strong debut. Record label Italians Do It Better have carved themselves out as a champion of alternative, genre spanning and out of the box music, and Glüme is no exception. A woozy, hazy experience, this album promises great and interesting things from the artist.
Jess Distill
★★★★☆