The Beautiful World, David Allred‘s forthcoming full-length on Erased Tapes, is a record about serious themes. At it centre lies the suicide of a young family friend, the traumatic kernel around which the Portland, OR-based composer and producer spins layers of contemplation. Death, grief and loss are understandably key moods, but perhaps the most striking emotion is that of longing. Not only a desire to return to the past and that which is lost, but also for something better in the future. A more beautiful world.
The title track introduces the style with a fittingly intimate sound, positioning Allred next to the likes of Phil Elverum in his ability to weave mournful and often idiosyncratic soundscapes without sacrificing human warmth. “[The single] is about longing for a sense of community when friends are vastly scattered far and wide,” Allred explains. “Navigating the complexities of life and feeling a profound appreciation for old normalcy whilst reaching for an appreciation for what I have and who I am now.”
The details at the track’s heart are ostensibly mundane. Watching (or missing) Jeopardy, watching dogs at the dog park, walking a graveyard after dark. The individual threads which constitute the fabric of a fulfilled life. And with these in mind, the repeated refrain—”I want to belong in the beautiful world”—starts out like a plea but comes to represent something of a mission statement. The intention behind the track, and indeed the record more generally, making itself clearer with every repetition.
Watch the video directed by Allred and Fay Funk below:
The Beautiful World will be released on the 24th January via Erased Tapes and you can pre-order it now.
Photograph by Jayden Becker. Album photography by David Allred with creative direction by Robert Raths