ALBUM REVIEW: Avalon Emerson – Written into Changes

Dead Oceans

Released: 20.03.26

Given her legendary status as a DJ, it really came as little surprise that Avalon Emerson could effortlessly pivot to a side-gig as a brilliant avant indie floor-filler merchant with 2022’s immaculate (and painfully underrated) LP & the Charm. Written into Changes is a deft and bold evolution that finds Avalon pushing her voice into bolder territory; whilst she floated over the dense soundscapes on LP1, Written into Changes finds a bolder and more versatile vocal sound, with a hearty second dose of juddering beats, dense waves of synth hooks and glorious, sun-soaked melodies. Bullion returns to lend his trademark wonky-pop textures, and some tracks (such as the relentlessly hooky Jupiter And Mars) benefit from contributions from ex-Vampire Weekend sonic architect Rostam.

The brilliance of Avalon’s music lies in how effortlessly she weaves different strands of electronic music DNA into a euphoric and immersive sound which blends eras and aesthetics with ease, never being too beholden to a specific sound, but instead deftly blending the history of floor-fillers into a brilliant menagerie of vibe where anything goes; pounding instrumental God Damn (Finito) sends you through a frenzy of industrial beats before delivering you to the Lynchian-lounge travelogue God Damn This Beer.

All in all, Written into Changes marks a bold step forward from the brilliance of & the Charm, which had the ebb-and-flow of a marvelous DJ set; there’s more variety at play, with Avalon being keener to try on different masks and craft an album that varies in sound and tempo, but still effortlessly maintains the high standards she’s previously set.