Last year when we were finalizing our Top 40 Artists To Watch list in December, we came across acloudyskye and his song, “Empty Space.” Based on pretty much this song alone, we added him to the list. Little did we know at the time that he would soon release an album so incredible that it would not only 1000% validate our choice, but also put him in contention for this year’s Top Albums list.
Blood Rushing Like Current Through A Powerline is definitely a mouthful, but it is the most satisfying umami your ears will ever experience.
The album begins with “Apologies.” acloudyskye sings on a lot of the tracks in this album, and this being our first introduction to his voice is a coming to God experience. It’s soft and sultry, it’s honest, and wonderful. But it’s also encompassed in an envelope of truly heartfelt production.
And this is a subjective observation, but the whole album feels very Sufjan Stevens-esque in its pacing and even in a lot of its instrumentation. It’s whimsical but always has a deep emotional direction and intention behind every song and note. With acloudyskye’s vocals also in the mix, the comparison becomes even more apparent.
Especially on songs like “Empty Space” and “Heliov,” coincidentally the two singles released ahead of the album, the interpolation of intense sounds and gritty synths against the delightful melodies, acloudyskye’s songwriting prowess becomes infinitely more unmistakable.
While reading about this album, I saw someone on social media mention something akin to, “I’ve had three ‘this is my favorite song on the album’ moments and I just finished track 3.” This album is special in that every song individually is incredibly good, but the sum of its parts is even more incredibly profound. It’s only when you’re able to listen to the album in its entirety that you get a sense of the pacing, the themes, the immense beauty of it all.
With Blood Rushing Like Current Through A Powerline, acloudyskye has truly done something remarkable. Listen below and let yourself just swim in the sounds for a bit.