One of the main lessons I learned in 2020 was to be with myself. Being sober, and with all of my chosen distractions ripped away – no more live shows, no more mindless trips to the shops, no more nights out – I was left with me. My thoughts. My energy. My memories. And I learned that I had been running away from all of it by finding other things – anything – to do besides sit with myself. Yes, there have been dark moments; times when I would have turned to a drink or a show to take me out of my feelings. But without those things, I had to meditate through the anxiety, write through the heartbreak, and bathe away the physical pain. When I sat down to listen to J. Donovan Malley‘s new release Echoes In A Cage, I felt as though I was listening to a sonic representation of the learning I did last year. This is an album of dark ambient sounds conceived in isolation and desperation, and at times it sounds menacing, lonely, and painful; but at others, it’s devastatingly beautiful and full of gratitude. The album features guest performances by Marisa Kaye Janke (ISENDORAL and KIHALAS), Curtis Parker (WITCH RIPPER) Michael Alvarez (FLUB, ALTERBEAST, and EQUIPOISE), and Matt Jahn (ISDAL and INTO THE STORM). It’s out now and you can buy it directly from the artist here. Right now, listen to the full album and hear what voices it brings up in you.
