Released in April this year, Blank is a thirteen-track album that serves as Jack Maria's official debut, and once you've spent enough time with it, you'll struggle to believe it was made by someone who's only twenty-four. A dark, haunting, textural body of work, the record pairs heavily edited instruments with synthetic VSTs, creating dense, immersive soundscapes that wrap completely around the listener.
Moving through themes of hopelessness, depression, and trauma, the Toronto-based artist doesn't shy away from the heavy stuff. Weaving his personal scars into songs that are somehow both personal and vast, you get the sense that making this album was a deeply cathartic process for its creator.
Contained within Jack's new record are the echoes and footprints of so many of his influences. From Radiohead and Alex G to Sigur Rós and Daniel Johnston, it's clear that he's a musician completely unafraid to wander into any sonic territory - and that's exactly the kind of ambition we love around these parts!
Recorded in the artist's bedroom, with vocals tracked in the basement so - in his words - no one could hear him, Blank carries a raw, isolating weight that cannot be faked. It's a masterful offering, and I cannot wait to hear what Jack Maria gets up to next!
