Thirteen years have passed since Ed Harcourt’s first release ‘Maplewood’. ‘Time of Dust’, the new album of the English songwriter, released this month couldn’t be much different.

The six-tracks mini-album is a “collection of evil songs”: deep and dusky sounds, cycling synth loops that captivate with their intense, sinister and dark texture. Haunting choral and gloomy notes open the album in ‘Come into my Dreamland’ and take you into a hypnotic journey. The epic ‘The saddest Orchestra (It only plays for you)’ with its great crescendos and delicate changes in harmonies gives a sensation of limitless spaces where Ed’s voice gently slides and floats.

By listening to ‘Time of Dust’ you end up enjoying the maturity of the production, the ability of Ed to combine sounds, rhythms and deep lyrics in order to create an emotional and intense mixture. This mini-album with its unsettling atmosphere offers a cocoon-like environment, a timeless third space, perfect to evade.

‘Parliament of Rooks’ is an escalation of tension.  Kathryn Williams’s contribution, the anxious sound of the piano and the different voices’ layers create a unique and tormenting atmosphere.

The mini-album ends with the charming ‘Love is A Minor Key’, a lovely and delicate ballad whose atmosphere is reminiscent of some Jeff Buckley’s tunes. The darkness that characterizes the other tracks suddenly dissolves and makes way for gentle sadness. Ed’s voice is delightful and overwhelming and is able to strike a chord for its honesty and talent. Definitely an album you should listen to.