OLI’s debut album, When It All Goes Quiet (2024), is a statement piece, a world carefully sculpted out of sound and silence. Born in New Jersey but raised in London, OLI (Olivia Masek) has always straddled identities, and that duality bleeds into her music: cinematic in scope but intimate in feeling, a balancing act between lush grandeur and delicacy. She calls it “the stillness before dawn,” and that imagery sticks because you can almost feel the record stretching between shadow and light, pulling you into its universe.
The opening track “Intro” sets the tone with a hushed piano, softened by waves of soothing and otherworldly strings, like a deep breath before something profound. By the time we reach the title track, “When It All Goes Quiet,” the soundscape widens. A deep, gravelly string drone anchors the space while gentle piano threads through it, until OLI’s thick, velvety voice drops in. The chorus soars, punctuated by beats that land with a cathartic punch. It’s not just about volume rising, it’s the sound of emotions breaking their surface.
Midway, “Zara’s Song,” featuring cellist Zara Hudson-Kozdoj, pulls the album into darker waters. The deep, morose strings haunt while the higher notes snake mystically like shafts of light in the gloom. The interplay feels almost cinematic—like the score you’d expect in a film’s most sensitive moment, where pain and beauty intertwine.
Then comes the closer, “Beauty Queen,” which distills the album’s emotional weight into something tender yet unflinching. Euphoric and happy with the utmost tenderness, she sings, “This feels like symmetry” and “I knew from the start, you’d be good at giving love,” surrendering to the contentment they feel after building a loving and secure relationship.
Listen to When It All Goes Quiet by OLI to feel the music create soft and soothing visuals in your mind.
STAY IN TOUCH:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | SPOTIFY | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
Review by: Naomi Joan