On Chrystia Cabrals fourth album as SPELLLING, the Bay Area artist transforms her acclaimed avant-pop project into a
mirror. Cabrals lyrics for Portrait of My Heart tackle love, intimacy, anxiety, and alienation, trading the allegorical approach of much
of her previous work for something pointed into her human heart. The albums thematic forthrightness is echoed in its arrangements,
making it the sharpest, most direct SPELLLING album to date. From the dark minimalism of her earliest music to the lavishly
orchestrated prog-pop of 2021s The TurningWheel to this newly energetic expression of her creative spirit, Cabral has proved again
and again that SPELLLING can be whatever she needs it to be.
The title track, with its propulsive drum groove and anthemic chorus of I dont belong here, is the most potent embodiment of the
albums turn toward emotional directness. Once the main melody emerged, Cabral used the song as a tool to process her anxiety as a
performer and opted for a tighter, more rock-oriented composition. This transformation mirrors the albums broader shift toward
energy and immediacy, driven by the core band of Wyatt Overson (guitar), Patrick Shel-ley (drums), and Giulio Xavier Cetto (bass),
whose collaboration uncovers new contours of the SPELLLING sound. Cabral still writes and demos in isolation, but presenting the
songs for Portrait of My Heart to her bandmates helped her discover their eventual lively, organic forms.
So did working with a trio of producers The Turning Wheel mixing engineer Drew Vandenberg, SZA collaborator Rob Bisel, and Yves Tumor producer Psymun.
Key guest contributions further shape the album. Chaz Bear (Toro y Moi) deliversSPELLLINGs first duet on Mount Analogue, Turnstile guitarist Pat McCroryturns Cabrals original piano demo for Alibi into the crunchy, riffy version that appears on the record, while Zulus Braxton Marcellous gives Drain its sludgy heft. These parts arent just incorporated seamlessly into the album; they feel like an integral part of its universe.
TRACKLIST
1. Portrait of My Heart
2. Keep It Alive
3. Alibi
4. Waterfall
5. Destiny Arrives
6. Ammunition
7. Mount Analogue
8. Drain
9. Satisfaction
10. Love Ray Eyes
11. Sometimes