A cinematic and sensual piece of modern folk, Sammy Malary’s ‘Human Spectra’ is an audaciously ambitious record. Taking the existence of us as humans on a spectrum, Malary seeks to explore the boundaries of gender expression beyond a binary. It’s a dreamy and ethereal record, filled with vocal harmonies and subtle production elements that have you floating. The short but succinct record is innately cinematic, loaded with speech and opulent orchestral arrangements that add dimensional levels above and beyond what you’d expect. From the opening ‘Fear Of Change, Fear Of Feeling’, you’re thrown into a supple spoken word piece that uses a wonderful string section to accentuate the emotional scale of the record.
Each song is dramatic, loaded with a cinematic verve and scale that’s larger than life. There’s no room for softness or minimalism on this record. It excels and grows in its cinematic scale with orchestral versions that make it even more grandiose and powerful. From back to front, the magical string work is a definitive highlight. There’s layers to each piece, with clear messaging and romantic arrangements to match. A luscious, ethereal, and dreamy piece of artful folk pop.