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Photo: Shervin Lainez

Most of the vibrations that form the sound we perceptibly hear so mellifluously are otherwise imperceptible, a flux of chaotic energy ignored and unknown before the physics of our ears suddenly delivers a dose of rhythmic harmony, corresponding emotions to follow. awfultune is no stranger to pulling from that dissonance, unseen and unheard by many, and crafting its absent radiation into concentrated beauty: stories, songs, and cathartic exercises that have immediate effect.

awfultune is the artist moniker of Layla Eden, a self-described raconteur. That wordy definition for a relatable, antidotally luscious songwriter has been a signature in her music since she started seeping tunes via the internet from her home in Upstate New York. The past two years, fueled by the death of her mother and pandemic isolation, have seen a prodigious export of her creative talent, starting with the wondrously poetic layla and because she had more to say, dovetailing into this opus of excellence eden.

eden is layered with excellent, varying tunes, woven together yes, but, also, there isn’t one song that can’t stand alone as delicious and purposeful (the single "soda" being this author’s favorite). The narrative arc of eden  embarks on an emotional journey: finding your self-worth, insecure girl looking desperately for love, finding the right emotion with the wrong boy, learning from mistakes, taking the pain from the negative and quarrying from that a positive. These are typical musical tropes but they’re delivered by an atypical talent. Delicate and light vocals seem to pull harmony out of awfultune's nerves, a literal story of transition and honest frustration that is beguilingly beautiful and a bravery that is so hard to surmise.

"I wanted to give listeners a genuine look into my heart and hopefully find a lot to relate to in the process. The album is a nonfiction story following a very insecure girl who is desperate for love and takes you through the highs and lows of her beautiful romances turned nasty breakups. This album holds nothing back; it talks about wanting revenge on those who hurt us, past trauma, sexual assault and more. eden as a whole really focuses on healing. Once we learn to repurpose the negative energy that we often hold internally and exchange it for light and love, only then can we move on," shares Layla.

It is a wondrous work of depth and sadness, but hopeful by its very process, a production that truly turns "every heartbreak into a lesson." Stories are meant to neatly reveal of who we are and where we come from, but not everyone can tell their own story immediately. Fear, imposing family, and societal restraints often bind and bookend our own narrative. Yet, every track in eden is an inspiration for our true stories to be dispensed and devoted to. Layla is living proof of what happens when we listen to ourselves and take courage in the pressing choices that are unheard sounds until they are sung loudly.

Listen to eden below: