With her latest full-length ‘Spiritus’, Portland’s Mary Knoblock builds on a track record of genre-bending musical explorations. This time diving headfirst into a lush, spiritual haze that feels both deeply personal and cosmically expansive. Across her newest outing, Knoblock blurs the line between dream-pop and experimental alt, creating this wonderfully expansive mix of flavours throughout.
Opening with ‘Excuse Me While I Go Fall In Love’, the album sets an immediate tone of wonder and innovation. But just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, Knoblock shifts gears by injecting pulsing rhythms, ghostlike piano motifs, and atmospheric textures that veer between the haunting and the heavenly.
Her production style leans into unpredictability, but there’s a clarity of vision at its core. Even at its most abstract, ‘Spiritus’ never feels overly indulgent. It’s as though Knoblock is inviting us to decode her emotions in real time, with each track an entry into her shifting states of being. While the melodies feel lifted from a higher plane, the impact they conjure are as grounded and human as they come.
If artists like Julianna Barwick, FKA twigs, or Agnes Obel speak to you, you’ll find kindred resonance here. Mary Knoblock continues to carve out her own corner of the universe, and ‘Spiritus’ is her heartfelt ode to her captivating journey so far.