Key to London-based singer-songwriter Celeste Madden’s new EP, Is It Really Goodnight?, is its dense atmosphere. It’s not foreboding or oppressive, but rather a sleepless sheen that coats the tracklist in a way the cyanotype cover art would suggest. Madden’s sound swings between minimal, almost ambient guitar ballads and brooding alt-rock cuts that could soundtrack a mid-00s teen vampire franchise.
This dial swings throughout this new EP, starting with the confessional ‘Nightly Routine’, which works thematically, lyrically, and holistically as the focal track of the whole release. Its sound is understated—maybe reminiscent of a quieter Adrienne Lenker track—with a narrative that feels crushingly personal.
Madden writes songs that are introspective but not isolating to the listener, and throughout the EP, there are lyrics that I imagine will resonate with anyone. Likewise, her sound isn’t limited; she has different shades of atmospheric alt-folk style that deepen the record.
Tracks like ‘Millennium’, which I really enjoyed for its 90s alternative approach, feature featherlight production over a more driving, almost grungy sound. The song felt nostalgic for artists like Mazzy Star or The Sundays, and I think it’s one of the better examples of Madden’s vivid vocals on the EP.
Similarly, ‘Fever Dream’, which I thought was the best song for its songwriting, vocals, and production aesthetic. It combines the best of this echoing, lush space that Madden builds throughout the EP, managing to be grandiose in an understated way. I hesitate to label it shoegaze, but it’s dense and sonically pleasing in a way that would imply that genre, and I think fans of the songwriting elements of bands like Alvvays would love this tune as well.
Is It Really Goodnight? is a record that is tranquil, passionate, and uses sonically heavy moments that don’t clash or clutter its vision. I think Celeste Madden’s sound works well on multiple levels because she has a clear grip on what she’s trying to explore in her music, and if you’re someone who values honesty in a musician, then I think you’ll really enjoy this EP.
Is It Really Goodnight? is out on Sad Club Records, and is available to stream now or to buy via her bandcamp.
