Adam KennySPELLLING’s Tia Cabral
Tia Cabral, a.k.a. SPELLLING ,hails from Oakland, California, and resides within the experimental and progressive pop world. I first came across SPELLLING with the release of their 2021 album The Turning Wheel which was a gothic pop epic. I still return to it regularly. The album sounds like something that could’ve easily have been made in the 90s. It sounds like it could be on the charts with other songs like “Kiss From a Rose.” It has this nostalgic sound that is somehow completely fresh.
SPELLLING’s albums do not linger within one or even 2 genres. The composition and instruments will change up throughout. The Turning Wheel is not SPELLING’s first release, but it was what garnered my attention. In 2023 they released SPELLLING & the Mystery School which featured re-recordings from their previous albums such as “Mazy Fly“ and “Pantheon of Me“. The album did not feature any new material. Fast forwarding to now, SPELLLING has come out with their fifth studio album Portrait of My Heart which leans into alternative rock but maintains SPELLLING’s killer atmosphere and aesthetics.
The struggles and hopes with faith
Immediately this album leans into the 90s nostalgic factor for me. The cover art feels like something you’d see featured on a Tim Burton movie like Batman. The album starts off with the titular track. Immediately there’s a shift in sound. The drums kick in with a moody electric guitar combined with Tia’s layered vocals that echo out into the abyss. The tempo and speed of the song itself is so much quicker and livelier compared to The Turning Wheel which in comparison featured this dense ethereal-esque atmosphere that you’d expect fairies to live in. Whereas, Portrait of My Heart has a far more up-in-your-face presence.
The track itself is brilliant. The chorus features these strings/violins in the back that work so well with the guitar and Tia’s vocals. The lyrics themselves detail as though Tia’s dealing with the consequences of losing faith. Repeating throughout the song “I don’t belong here” as though she’s realising what is happening to her. She’s looking within herself begging for some understanding now that the voices from above no longer comfort her, possibly referring to the Catholic Church which she was actually raised within. It’s a stellar start for the album and really helps set the pace and expectations of the songs. The switch to a more alt-rock sound works super well with Tia’s voice. It just makes total sense. Her voice commands a mysteriousness, where you get lost in, that works wonderfully with the moodiness of the guitars and drums.
Guitars! Drums! Rock!
The song “Alibi” has Tia being fed up and accepting of a failed relationship. Synthesizers are more prominent here and feel like familiar territory until the guitars kick in with these drowned out drums. Tia sings about how she got caught up in the lies and the troubled behaviour of her lover, which some part of her likes. It’s a slower track, the guitars and drums spark up enough movement during the chorus but Tia’s voice takes shine here. Her voice is gorgeous. How she layers her vocals on the songs is amazing. It just sounds so lush. It’s the only apt description I have for it. “Destiny Arrives” is a fantastic song for her voice to shine again. The guitars are not as present and there’s more of a focus on violins and synths again.
A strong second half, and incredible cover
The second half continues strong with “Mount Analogue”. The crashing drums and guitars are gone away altogether. There’s a single synth note that leads the song with the drums. It sounds like something you’d hear from a noir detective movie when the main character doesn’t know how to get the perp. It’s closer to a ballad compared to the epics that are on this album. Toro Y Moi actually makes an appearance providing some vocals during the post chorus. “Mount Analogue” has this listlessness to it and airiness. You could easily find yourself getting lost staring at your wall or just by closing your eyes. With the song “Satisfaction” however, we’re back to the guitars and drums with some help from the synths.
“Satisfaction” is a short song at only around 2 minutes long which. I wish this song was longer, which is a complement in of itself. The guitars here sounds like something out of a Black Sabbath album, but I simply wish it was longer. The albums length is a standard 41 minutes so I feel as though it could’ve been built out more. It doesn’t help that when you go straight into “Love Ray Eyes” you can almost not realise “Satisfaction” is over.
SPELLLING’s take on “Sometimes” by My Bloody Valentine
The final track of the album is a cover of My Bloody Valentine’s “Sometimes” from their album loveless. MBV is one of my favourite bands of all time, and loveless is my favourite album of all time. SPELLLING’s take on the song is mesmerising. Tia’s vocals are phenomenal here, bellowing out with drowned out guitars. They’re not as heavy as MBV’s original, but it works here. The synths that have been here throughout come in to carry the main melody with the guitars covering everything else. I got goosebumps listening to it. It’s such a fantastic cover where Tia is loving every second of it, and has incorporated her own style so well into it.
Verdict
Portrait of My Heart is a surprisingly straight forward album and I really appreciated that. It’s got enough depth to keep your curious, but executes its ideas right in front of you and does it really bloody well. You don’t need to spend a dreadful amount of time studying the lyrics to know what Tia’s singing about. You can jump into this album without any issues. It doesn’t overstays its welcome, if anything I wanted more from it! The Turning Wheel was a great album that peaked my interest in SPELLLING and Portrait of My Heart has made me a keen fan. It’s a great album, and I think everyone who’s in the mood for moody gothic art rock should give it a listen.
