Establishing the mood with a rolling piano performance and ethereal vocal ad-libs, Alone New Yorker opens Room with no corners with a strong emotional pull and the lyrics, “I turned the ceiling into headphones, let the plaster hum in grey, all my posters blurred to outlines, like they’re trying to fade away…”
We immediately connect with the situational yet metaphorical lyrics and the sublime vocal timbre. The opus expands with cosmic notions, textured soft drums, and poetic detail as we are taken on an introspective journey of isolation and how our surroundings can become reflections of our internal worlds.
There is something incredibly clever about Benjamin Decraene’s lyricism here. Alone New Yorker brings those mundane household details to life, and transmutes them into something otherworldly. The coffee stains become constellations, wallpaper becomes a source of honesty, and the hum of a fridge is transformed into music. The result is deeply intimate, almost visceral.
The vocal performance is delicate, with the falsetto delivery adding a weightless ethereal energy to the piece. We love the juxtaposition between the astral notions and heavier emotional themes. The production is equally impressive, stripped-back with the deliberately detuned piano, ambient textures and soft distortion. It feels raw and authentic. The upper register piano details are hypnotic.
Conceptually, the message of the song feels particularly relevant, as these are emotions that many of us experience today as a collective. The paradox in the lyricism: “I dissolve but I resound” reminds us of how we can easily disappear from the world whilst still desperately wanting to be heard. This feels poignant.
Fans of Patrick Watson, SYML and Tammy Adams will be able to connect with the understated vulnerability of Room with no corners. Written and composed by Benjamin Decraene, the song leaves a strong impression. Room with no corners has been added to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Alone New Yorker, including Above the rooftops, and Pieces we left behind.