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“Aromanticism/aromantic – having no interest or desire for romantic relationships.” It seems to be an intentional irony, then, that Moses Sumney’s debut release celebrates the value of solitude with an album drenched in the traditional signifiers of love. From his own angelic, soaring falsetto to the subtle pluckings of harp strings, Sumney does more than simply place self-love on par with romance. Rather, he creates a sonic space in which an individualistically aromantic identity can be valued in its own right.
Aromanticism opens with a ‘Man on the Moon (Reprise)’. To name this snippet, introduced at the onset and never to be heard again on the album, as a ‘reprise’ could be interpreted as mere pretentiousness. Yet it can also be seen as a nod to the repeated listening that the album demands and deserves, the way its vocal hooks loop both upon themselves and within the listener’s head. The fragmentary, reverb-laden track sets the tone for the album, as rich vocal harmonies collapse into the jazz chords of ‘Don’t Bother Calling’. From there, the Sumney brings the listener through a seductive aural soundscape filled with suspensions, glimmering synth, and his impeccably controlled vocals.
This is an impressive debut from Sumney, not just because the power of the arrangements and quality of each track, but also because of the cohesiveness of the album as a conceptual whole. Aromanticism is filled with fragments and interludes, each a carefully crafted rumination on what it is to be alone. Songs lead into each other with an effortless ease. That is not to say that there are no meaty tracks here; ‘Quarrel’, ‘Lonely World’ and ‘Doomed’ all stand out. Even there though, there is strength to be found in the balance Sumney creates between uplifting choruses and seductively whispered verses.
In an increasingly identity-driven society, Aromanticism explores the rejection of traditional values in a meaningful ways. The album’s persona is complex and multifaceted. He simultaneously plays the gently spurning lover, in ‘Don’t Bother Calling’ (“You need a solid, but I’m made of liquid”), while still ruminating on the fear of being alone in ‘Doomed’ (“Am I vital/If my heart is idle”). Sumney has done more than simply project a label onto how we can love and feel. In this album, he has crafted a work of art that validates an existence on the periphery of the norms. Despite the listener’s own romantic inclinations, we can all enjoy this submersion into loneliness.
