One Track Mind

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On August 18th, Choir of Young Believers will release their debut LP, This Is for the White in Your Eyes, on Ghostly International. If “Action/Reaction” is any indication, it should prove to be one of the year’s most stunning premieres.

Despite the collectivism suggested by its name, Choir of Young Believers is actually the work of one man: Denmark’s Jannis Noya Makrigiannis. The twenty-six year old has assembled various cohorts to fill out the record’s lush sound, but the songwriting is all his–and what a marvelous gift he has. Beyond the delicate luster of his voice, Markrigannis brings to the table some otherworldly melodies and a penchant for creating beauty out of efficiently layered instrumentation and vocals. “Action/Reaction” is elegant and airy, comprised of sections which are alternatingly driving and celestial.

In the end, it’s difficult to not single out Makrigiannis’ vocals as the real star here. He sings with the disarming ease possessed by the best vocalists, his timbre soft around the edges but possessing enough character to mark his as a singular voice. It is a perfect complement to the music he has erected around it, making “Action/Reaction” as fluid as it is powerful.