On Oct. 11th, Vancouver singer/songwriter Atlin Morgan released her powerful, 13-song debut album, ‘Lady Grey’, an evocative song collection full of gorgeous melodies, rich and diverse arrangements and incredible vocals.
Largely written during the pandemic and just following it, ‘Lady Grey’ came out of a period of intense self-exploration and discovery, both personally and musically. The title of the album comes from the Bond-theme-like opening track, Lady Grey, which explores Atlin’s struggle with her old-fashioned alter-ego.
Although it has a consistent feel to it, it’s hard to pin down a genre for Lady Grey which is a mix of different genres and genre crosses, including variations on folk, dream pop, jazz, art song and indie rock. This is a result of Atlin’s diverse influences, her first being her opera singer dad and folk-singer mom, and later growing up listening to her favourite, but very contrasting musicians, including Radiohead, Björk, Ella Fitzgerald and Cecelia Bartoli.
Atlin is a classically trained singer and she uses her training to add a power, beauty and versatility to her songs that is uncommon in the popular music realm. From soft pianissimos and trills to powerful forte hits and long, legato lines, her voice shines as the focal instrument on her album. Secondly, her years of experience writing and singing choral music shows heavily, with breathtaking and unusual harmonies adding colour to her music. Atlin has also played piano her whole life and writes most of her songs on one, so the piano is a third, key player on ‘Lady Grey’. The piano is such a natural extension of her songwriting that it almost feels like an extension of herself when she plays it.
Each of the 13 songs is inspired by experiences, often pivotal or emotional, in Atlin’s life, and the order of the album was carefully thought out with an A and B side for the vinyl release but also just the right flow to stream the whole thing from beginning to end. Side A is intense and emotional, side B is lighter and cosy, and a full album listen takes the listener on a journey through many stories and soundscapes with it’s highly evocative songs, some of which have been known to give listeners literal goosebumps.
Included on the album are the musical talents of many amazing Vancouver-based musicians, adding a richness to Atlin’s music that can only be accomplished with a collaborative spirit. A notable standout is Vancouver-based western folk musician, Daniel Sinclair, who features on the jazz duet ‘Home’ with his silky, baritone voice and acoustic guitar, as well as lending his talents to five other tracks on the album.
Lady Grey was entirely produced by Atlin, herself, and she is thrilled to share it with the world.