Conchis’ debut album, Chapters, offers an immersive journey through the psychological and emotional terrain of human existence, navigating themes of loss, yearning, and resilience. The Finnish artist, who has persevered through her battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), delivers an album with an intense rawness—achieved in part by limiting each vocal track to just five takes. This approach lends a rare, unfiltered vulnerability to the music, where each lyric feels like a revelation, and the resulting effect is captivating. From the meditative opening track “Trees Grow Higher” to the haunting closer “Calm Your Mind,” Chapters, unfolds as an evocative soundscape of struggle and self-discovery.
Drawing inspiration from John Fowles’ novel *The Magus* and the mystic symbolism of tarot’s Magician card, Conchis uses elemental sounds and contrasting musical textures to infuse, Chapters, with mystery. Earth, water, fire, and air appear as recurring motifs, blending seamlessly with her distinctive layering of light and dark tones. Tracks like “Floods” reflect her environmental anxieties, using stormy production and Fever Ray-esque tension to echo humanity’s impact on the planet, while “The World Is Flat” presents a deceptively soothing response to the cacophony of social media. This balance of beauty and discordance demonstrates Conchis’ skill in transforming complex topics into gripping auditory experiences.
The album’s standout moments come in deeply personal tracks such as “She Was Born” and “Stories,” where Conchis delves into the loss of her mother and the trials of living with chronic illness. Her stripped-back vocal on “She Was Born” conveys a poignant sense of vulnerability, while “Stories” explores her rare moments of existential surrender during illness. The surging electronic backdrop mimics waves of desperation, heightening the intensity of her lyrical plea. This honest portrayal of her journey with CFS resonates as both a cathartic release and a tribute to her resilience, reflecting her transformation of personal pain into powerful music.
Ending with “Calm Your Mind,” Conchis draws the listener into a meditative close, the track written before she fell ill but strangely prophetic of her subsequent journey with ME/CFS. Avant-garde synths and pulsating beats evoke her battle with physical and mental exhaustion, mirroring the way chronic illness reframed her reality. As the album fades out with a heartbeat-like rhythm, Chapters, leaves listeners with a sense of Conchis’ hard-earned peace. It’s an album that is both beautiful and haunting, an emotional exploration that establishes Conchis as a distinctive, empathetic voice in modern music.
