OLI’s debut album ‘When It All Goes Quiet’

Over the last decade, Olivia Masek has been on an exciting musical adventure that’s resulted in a truly compelling alternative pop sound. Born in New Jersey and raised in London, she folds her unique perspective into her musical vision and under her artistic banner OLI, she’s been making an impact that’s won over fans around the world while clocking millions of streams of her music online.

Her music flourishes in the spaces been contrasting settings, at times intimate and atmospheric, at others beat-driven and intense. It’s that juxtaposition and versatility that’s seen her go from strength to strength with each release, always offering something new yet marked by her recognisable musical imprint.

First first arriving with her debut EP Fire in 2016, OLI has since been developing a sound that’s confirmed her status as a must watch artist in London’s alternative pop scene. Earning recognition across the industry, her work has been spotlighted in Notion and Wonderland while earning prime placement on Spotify playlists such as Jazz UK and Fresh Finds Jazz. On stage, she’s carried that same blend of intimacy and grandeur, with appearances at the Isle of Wight Festival.

Her artistic journey reached a new peak last year with the release of her debut album titled When It All Goes Quiet. OLI herself described it as “the stillness before dawn — music for in-between moments when you need to feel everything at once.” Across its twelve tracks, she forged a sonic space where silence is alive with possibility, stacking cinematic instrumentation with atmospheric electronics and tying it all together with her emotionally charged vocals.

Following the brief instrumental “Intro” piece which slips listeners into an immersive world of delicate melodies and hazy textures, the album progresses with the rising swell of instrumentation on “I’ve Been Waiting.” With the soft punch of drums and plucked instrumental tones, OLI’s silky vocals hover above before the arrangement jumps with subtle rock vibes, framing her pop-focused songwriting in a rhythmic and instantly catchy sound.

“Cry” follows with revered textures and aching vocal layers which float through a delicate arrangement of elegant piano notes to form a moving slice of stripped back alternative pop. Title track “When It All Goes Quiet” arrives with ominous cello notes before the bounce of piano ushers in OLI’s graceful vocal leads, building with the patter of drums to craft an engrossing soundscape.

Other highlights on the record include songs like “Come Back (Don’t)” with its nervy energy propelled by the laid back snap of percussion, skanked guitar rhythms and expressive vocals. On “Zara’s Song,” OLI links up with cellist Zara Hudson-Kozdoj, whose stunning performance injects haunting melodic lines through a moody instrumental outing.

Closing the album with “Beauty Queen,” tender vocal melodies drift alongside piano backing and fluttering instrumental flashes, offering a sensational showcase of OLI’s songwriting flair and performance panache. It’s a dazzling finale to a truly incredible debut record that packs bags of catchy moments, emotions and transportive arrangements from start to finish to offer an utterly compelling statement of intent from a talented artist on the rise.

The vinyl edition of the record added further significance with an exclusive duet with Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode, a moment that attests to OLI’s artistic credibility via a collaboration that felt both surprising and inevitable, aligning OLI’s atmospheric vision with one of the genre’s most enduring voices. Commenting on the creative context of the LP, OLI shares,“It’s probably fantasy — like Stardust and Interstellar had a baby. I didn’t want it to feel too heavy; I wanted it to feel like a world you could step into, where the emotions hit but you can breathe inside them.”

Listen to When It All Goes Quiet below