Whelm

With the spatial grandeur of his native Atlantic coast and the cinematic minimalism of a classic ECM recording, youthful London piano bard Douglas Dare delivers his striking debut LP, Whelm. Growing up in the coastal Dorset town of Bridport, Dare learned to play music from his piano teacher mother while absorbing the pastoral richness of the geography from his farmer father. Fed on classical music, but drawn to artists like Radiohead, Rufus Wainwright, and PJ Harvey, he has taken an interesting path with his music, blending a spare avant-garde aesthetic with dark but often melodic songwriting. The sounds he introduced with 2013's four-song EP Seven Hours were thoughtful and patient, taking their time to develop, yet ultimately engaging the listener. Released a mere eight months later, Whelm expands upon his themes of history, nature's severity, love, and loss, all sung in an intimate and richly tuneful voice. The arrangements are complex and smart, but not unapproachable, as his piano