Mount Eerie, real name being Phil Elverum, had taken a 5-year gap after the release of Lost Wisdom, Pt 2 and with any long time gap, there comes serious introspection and reevaluation of oneself and artistry and the 26-track epic Night Palace is no exception. There’s a lot to process and take in with the album. The runtime, just under 90 minutes, is intimidating and requires the listener to commit to the album fully in order to truly appreciate it.

The record is expansive and is a perfect showcase of how to build atmosphere. Elverum uses space in his songs to help build a world and immerse the listeners in the album. The production is key for this, with some songs having sound effects or deviating from the usual tone of the overall LP (like the sound of waves in ‘I Heard Whales (I Think)’ or the electronic aspect of ‘I Spoke With A Fish’). This all adds complexity to the tracks, making them feel more alive and powerful.

The real heart and soul of the album is the writing. Backed commonly by an acoustic guitar (with the exception of drums and electronic guitar for rockier, fast-paced songs), Elverum uses his lyrics as a vessel for self-exploration. He dives into heavy themes such as reckoning with his place in the world; looking at nature, the past, the future and also exploring the theme of loneliness and community. In ‘Stone Woman Gives Birth To A Child At Night’, he writes about the modern world, looking at how we react to global tragedy, in beautiful poetry; seen in the line: “Awash in privilege, we hold our meditation retreats out of earshot from the world’s bombing and cries.”

The stripped-back nature of the song emphasises the focus on the narrative and the extremely emotional topics. ‘Myths Come True’ features references to the Greek epic The Odyssey, with Elverum taking on an Odysseus-esque role and seeing a cyclops walking across the sky.

The length of the album, featuring songs that can range from a minute long to 12, is undoubtedly intimidating. And for casual listening, it comes with many problems. Some songs hold value only when they exist within the context of the project as a whole but this is not a casual album. This is a deeply personal and extremely vulnerable album that leaves the listener feeling transformed at the end as they accompany Elverum on the soulful journey.

The strength of the album isn’t in the casual listening or in the individual songs – these are all weaknesses for the songs by themselves do not work as well as when they are listened to alongside the others. But when listened to in full, and attention is paid to the record and to the lyricism, one can walk away from Night Palace feeling much more thoughtful and appreciative.

Order Night Palace HERE