oracle (2026) // heir loom

if you had to imagine yourself sitting on a bench fashioned from a log, accompanied by tall and mysteriously elven folk dressed in forest green and flaxen overcoats and maxi skirts, a fire churning rosemary and sage at the center of all of you, and moments where, just for a second you could swear, the ash has flitted off into fits of glitter, all while a low humming brooke babbles in the distance; this album would be what you would be listening to in the duration.

i’ve gotten the pleasure of getting to know the guitarist/vocalist andrew laughton and violinist lauren taylor over the last year, and in that time, have learned so much about the way they both see music, pedagogy, and whimsy (all things that if you know me, are hugely important). this album feels like the culmination of those passions, and how they intersect. there is a balance of simplicity and complexity. there is an attention to detail in the the way the tuning among the different string instruments intersect, and to the balance of voices, and overall every compositional element feels intrinsically intentional and integrated. every single thread is accounted for and carefully loomed. i’m such a glutton for a concept album, and the concept for oracle is so clear and concrete without feeling like the character is cliché or obvious.

the songs are complex, both technically; with many odd meters and careful counterbalance of dissonant and consonant harmony, but also emotionally. i had the privilege of attending the album release show, staged at an unassuming united church in waterloo with careful acoustics, surrounded by stained glass and an imposing organ in the stagescape. getting to experience the sounds of oracle for the first time in church pews and a cavern of sound was, dare i say, religious. at the merch table, the band had lyric books that made the experience fill akin to that of a recital or opera. as an audience member i could follow along with lyrics and collages that were visual accompaniment to the auditory presentation. the very first page dedicates a clear message that the beauty and love that has gone into the album was inspired by a personal tragedy; the loss of the band's dear friend, shannon lee.

i believe wholeheartedly that this album is a fertilization of the band’s grief, and through that fertilization, a persistent clover of grief pushes through the soil, and represents the birth of something bigger than you, or i, or even they can understand.

on so many levels, do i believe oracle, and subsequently heir loom, are magic. i have felt such awe and privilege to be witness to this magic, a feeling i can only compare to seeing a meteor shower, or witnessing a remote waterfall after a long hike.

bonus: every lyric book purchased came with an individualized single tarot card. when lauren saw i picked the 7 of swords, she literally said “oh honey, are you okay?”. i laughed a lot, saying “i did a bad job picking a card”. honestly i think i understand why i got this one now. and as tarot tends to be, it isnt for the easiest or most emotionally satisfying reason, but it was what i needed to hear.

this picture is also link to buy the album on bandcamp.