Irish composer and songwriter Lōwli has long occupied a space between the cinematic and the intimate, crafting music that feels both vast and deeply personal. With her debut album Window In The Woods, out now via Veta Records, she offers her most immersive statement yet; a beautifully brooding exploration of grief, renewal, and the restless cycles of the mind.
From the opening moments, it’s clear that Window In The Woods is an inward journey. The album unfolds like a slow exhale – part confession, part dreamscape – blending neo-classical composition with a dark, ambient pop sensibility. The acoustic piano, recorded on a 1920s Forster upright, anchors the record with its warm imperfections, while strings, atmospheric percussion, and ghostly textures swirl around it like shifting light through leaves.
Tracks such as Undone and Ground Above You showcase Lōwli’s hypnotic voice — a delicate but powerful presence that seems to hover between fragility and resolve. On the instrumental pieces Lament and Islands Are Falling, the focus shifts inward again, with elegant piano motifs and solemn strings tracing emotional contours without the need for words. Fans of Agnes Obel, Nils Frahm, or even the more meditative moments of Sigur Rós will find plenty to savour here.
What makes Window In The Woods so affecting is its duality. As Lōwli explains, the album balances themes of identity, mortality and detachment with acceptance, belonging and connection. That tension – between isolation and communion, shadow and light – gives the record its quiet power. Every track feels like a conversation between inner and outer worlds, a reflection of how we process our most difficult experiences.
Recorded largely at Treehouse Studios in Co. Wicklow, the album’s sense of place is palpable. There’s a rawness to its textures that feels natural and unforced, as though the forest air seeped into the recordings themselves. It’s a record that breathes, that moves slowly but deliberately — music that doesn’t demand attention, but rewards it deeply.
With Window In The Woods, Róisín Lowry, the artist behind the Lōwli moniker, solidifies her standing as one of Ireland’s most evocative contemporary voices. Already championed by The Irish Times, Hot Press, and BBC Radio, Lōwli here transcends her early promise, offering a debut that’s as cohesive as it is emotionally expansive.
Ultimately, Window In The Woods isn’t just an album… it’s an act of reflection. It invites listeners to pause, to look inward, and to find beauty in the spaces between darkness and light.
Verdict: ★★★★☆
A quietly stunning debut that lingers long after the final note fades.