Rispah (Bonus Track Version)

Proving that sometimes pain and sorrow can create the ultimate beauty, The Invisible’s frontman and guitarist Dave Okumu wrote the songs for the band’s sophomore album, Rispah, during a time when his mother was dying. (The album was named after her.) The opening intro, “A Particle of Love,” sets the tone, with a beautiful contrast of sweeping, futuristic synth drones and Nigerian tribal chants. This bleeds into “Generational”—a pulsing, moody, sci-fi dirge punctuated by brash, distorted percussion and Okumu’s throaty croons. The bass-heavy “Wings” is a kinetic standout: fluttering rhythms and heavily reverberated guitar-picking accompany lilting vocal melodies for a haunting aesthetic. Similarly, “Surrender” is a blend of Radiohead’s minimal angularity and sci-fi ambiance reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. The Invisible is a Mercury Prize–nominated trio, and the band’s awareness of its Floydian inspirations culminates in the astral ballad “The Wall.” The bonus track “Uninhibited” is haunting, sparse, dark, and gorgeous all at once.