A fearless jump into gloomy, haunting and cathartic territories, ‘Medusa’ signals Catherine Elms’ return on the international music scene. Missing since her 2023 EP ‘ARCANA’, the Welsh songstress seems to have worked on her artistry quite deeply, showcasing a hypnotic return to the classic Elms sound: a blend of melancholic rock distortions and cinematic atmospheres, all packaged into a sultry, euphoric yet decadent livery, one that we won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
‘Medusa’ is a rather striking record: introduced by low-registry piano notes, the piece slowly gains momentum and intensity, wrapping the listeners into a slow-paced series of textures and nuanced drum grooves, all crowned by Catherine’s evocative, dynamic tone, capable of remaining elegant, or to explode in a scream – pick your fighter! There’s an overwhelming feeling that Elms could give in to limitless fury and an unrepentant wall of sounds at any moment – a tension that keeps listeners continuously on their toes.
Before we realized it, the British artist completely captured our attention, a process that’s further augmented by her horror-like aesthetics and the committed alternative charge in them. Drawing inspiration from the Greek myth of the same name, ‘Medusa’ learns a thing or two from it: “Medusa is about finding empowerment in the parts of yourself you were told to hide, the messy, jealous, or dark emotions that make us human. It’s a call to embrace your flaws and learn to love the monster within.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Medusa’ on Spotify:
