Ed O’Brien’s Blue Morpho turns recovery into atmospheric art rock

Ed O’Brien’s Blue Morpho remains one of the most interesting alternative releases from the 22 May slate. Released via Transgressive, it is O’Brien’s second solo album and the first under his own name rather than the EOB moniker. That shift feels symbolic. O’Brien has spoken about no longer wanting to hide, and Blue Morpho is framed around emergence, recovery and visibility after a period of depression and uncertainty.

The Radiohead connection will naturally draw attention, but the better story is not that this is a Radiohead side quest. It is that O’Brien uses his own strengths — texture, shimmer, patience, spiritual searching and guitar atmospherics — to create something personal without trying to compete with the mythology of his main band.

Produced with Paul Epworth and Riley MacIntyre, and featuring contributors including Shabaka Hutchings, Tõnu Kõrvits, Philip Selway, Dave Okumu and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the record has a wide sonic palette but a clear emotional center. For a 24 May digest, Blue Morpho is worth highlighting because it is a record about transformation that avoids easy self-help gloss. It sounds like someone carefully finding a way back into the light. Source: https://pitchfork.com/news/ed-obrien-announces-new-solo-album-blue-morpho