Omschrijving

Met dank aan de originele posters indien het niet door mij geript is...
Thanks to the original posters if not ripped by myself...

01 - Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho - Incantations.flac 
02 - Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho - Blue Morpho.flac 
03 - Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho - Sweet Spot.flac 
04 - Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho - Teachers.flac 
05 - Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho - Solfeggio.flac 
06 - Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho - Thin Places.flac 
07 - Ed O'Brien - Blue Morpho - Obrigado +.flac 


Oor Review ---------------------
John Denekamp 22 mei 2026 album INDIE Ed O’Brien Blue Morpho TRANSGRESSIVE
Na jarenlang schaven en bijpunten, bracht Radiohead-gitarist Ed O’Brien in april 2020 zijn solodebuut Earth uit, toen net alle Covid-ellende begonnen was.
Er kon dus een streep door de geplande tournee en de lockdowns triggerden een stevige depressie, die hij er letterlijk probeerde uit te spelen.
Dat resulteerde in de zeven stukken op Blue Morpho, die als een soort alternatieve healing music overkomen zonder dat O’Brien zijn creatieve ambitie uit het oog verliest.
‘Here comes the fear’, zingt hij ingetogen in Incarnations, een fraai psychedelisch folkstuk met een droney sfeer dat halverwege steeds spookachtiger begint te klinken.
Door de combinatie van akoestische folk met een weelderig strijkarrangement doet de titelsong muzikaal in de verte zowel aan Nick Drake als Radiohead denken.
Van het moederschip is drummer Philip Selway in twee songs te horen, verder heeft O’Brien veel muzikanten uit de jazzhoek om zich heen verzameld.
‘Midway through life I just lost my way’, stelt hij in het spannende Teachers.
Dat nummer verbreekt met onrustig drumwerk, funky baslijnen en noise-erupties even de meditatieve toonzetting.
De lange afsluiter Obrigado vermengt indiefolk met lui swingende bossanovaritmes, terwijl hij de plaat met een psychedelische gitaarsolo uitspeelt.
Heel soms worden de kabbelende klanktapijten wat te gezapig (Thin Places), maar Blue Morpho voelt gewichtiger en betekenisvoller dan Earth.

Exystence Review ---------------
Ed O’Brien – Blue Morpho (2026) Filed Under: jazz, psychedelic rock by driX — 1 Comment May 21, 2026

For his second solo album, Blue Morpho, Ed O’Brien has teamed up with several excellent collaborators, notably Paul Epworth and Dave Okumu,
who take the Radiohead guitarist into the new musical vistas that the narrative around the album indicate he was seeking.
Finding himself seeking a new purpose and a sense of spiritual connection at a new phase in his life, the opportunity to painstakingly create
Blue Morpho during sessions in Wales seems to have come at the perfect time for him.
The sense of freedom and creativity on the one hand and sheer songwriting and performance quality on the other shines through throughout the record.
This is at least the equal of Radiohead’s recent output and perhaps more pertinently firmly establishes O’Brien as a solo artist in his own right.
From the opening guitar and synth patterns of “Incantations” the listener is in for something special.
Layers and atmosphere build over a prolonged intro before O’Brien’s vocals enter, crisp, clear, and melodically intricate and intriguing.
As he invites the listener to “open your eyes and see the beauty in the dark” the tension builds with the gradual crescendo of rhythm section and
guitar interjections along with synths, what sounds like a harp, and more.
The song is a beauty and I would say is a career highlight for O’Brien.

The more pulsing and notably brighter-sounding title track follows, flowing along in a way which brings Sigur Rós to mind.
The descending guitar figures that characterize it along with resonant strings bring a sense of true grandeur to proceedings,
leading to “Sweet Spot,” which feels like the album’s centerpiece, both in terms of vocal performance and the sheer orchestral scope of the piece.
Less a pop song and more a piece of chamber folk, there is a true sense of depth to this.

For a change of pace, the excellent “Teachers” follows, which features a terrific bass part and rhythm section combination as O’Brien intones
“midway through I’ve just lost my way, lost my way”—this is one that will have listeners grooving in spite of the lyrics.
When the drums enter it is a hugely satisfying moment.
The flow of the record takes us into the drone-like “Thin Places,” which in turn acts as something of an overture for closing epic “Obrigado,”
which combines atmosphere, funk, folk, and a note of ’70s pop in the verse and chorus melodies to bring the record to a conclusion.
The rhythmic shuffle calls to mind Sun Ra Arkestra in its insistence of the possibility of a brighter future.
Unfolding over nearly 10 minutes it feels like the ultimate expression of this moment in the life of Ed O’Brien.
Full of wonder, full of creativity, and possibility, fully realized and here for our delight.
Like the album as a whole this is a truly excellent piece.
It features lyrics full of thankfulness as we “feel the grace in all of life, thank you for this time.” What a great note to end a special album on.

Discogs Information ------------
CD packaged in Digisleeve. Comes with a print of Ed O'Brien on one side, and information on the other.