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Music

Corniglia’s debut album is brittle, beautiful, and beyond powerful

On their impressive self-titled album, Perth’s Corniglia produce a stunning collection of dark and delicate indie psychedelia that feels as powerful as it does fragile.

The Western Australian duo, comprised of Chloe De Paoli and Matt Irwin, maintain a strong DIY ethic to all their artistic output, producing all their own music, artwork, and videos.

Corniglia’s dreamy and ethereal self-titled album feels like treading on ice; as though it could shatter beneath your feet at any moment.

The first taste of the album was released in late 2016 with single Oh My Love; a graceful and enticingly melancholic track that perfectly showcases De Paoli’s haunting and endearing vocals.

Irwin, the primary songwriter, draws inspiration from his job as a physiotherapist where he is “privy to the sort of deep self-reflection that people seldom share openly and honestly.”  

This idea that a lot of people aren’t that happy in their later years and watching people dying early does make me question how we live our life,” he says.

These themes of introspection are overwhelmingly prevalent throughout the album, weaving their bittersweet tendrils between its brooding and reflective soundscapes.

Under death’s shadow, Corniglia’s pleasant songcraft takes on a darker and infinitely more complex timbre. When viewed through this lens, the album develops layers upon layers of devastating effectiveness, confronting the ultimate question with an intensity few songwriters could match.

Throughout Corniglia and outside of its subject matter, De Paoli and Irwin trade blissful vocal melodies, exemplified best by Matt’s backing vocals in the duo’s latest single Strange Desires.

A serene piece of lo-fi, indie-pop and a standout amongst a brilliant album, the track will instantly warm your heart and stick in your head for as long as you let it. Which, I’ll wager, is no short amount of time.

Ultimately, the album is a stunning, sombre, and stirring first effort for the band. Fans of indie-pop and psychedelia take note, Corniglia are showing every sign of greatness.