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Photo by Leah Blom

There’s something quietly restorative about Quiet Light, and not just because she’s literally training to be a doctor. On her label debut Blue Angel Sparkling Silver 2, Quiet Light (Riya Mahesh) proves that she has honed in her sound, but isn´t afraid to explore - creating a project that feels dreamlike, personal and makes you feel every emotion through its enthralling rhythms. This album will be the playlist to all of my pondering sessions from here on out!

The Texas-based artist first made her name through self-produced projects that came one after the other. Her 2023 album Blue Angel Sparkling Silver, which is the elder sibling to her current project, started to build real momentum leading to co-signs from Iggy Pop, opening slots for Cameron Winter and Chanel Beads, and now a home at True Panther. Somewhere in between medical school and a record deal, Riya circled back to the instinct that started it all: making music without overthinking it. This mixtape feels like the result of that return: nostalgic, a little dreamy, and completely locked into its own world.

What makes Blue Angel Sparkling Silver 2 so impressive for me is to see Quiet Light's growth. Whilst you can tell this is the sibling of her previous album, it feels like she found a side to herself that is less quiet (ironic right?). Whilst her voice is still soft and whisper-like, there are many moments in this album where she makes herself known and makes you realize that knowing when to be quiet and when to speak up is also incredibly powerful. Making the album so addictive are its beats, which carry and guide all of your emotions: meditative, light, and propulsive enough to keep you from ever pressing pause. Paired with strong, sometimes 2000s-coded guitars and her perfectly offbeat use of diary-like voice notes, the album feels like a stream of consciousness you don’t want to interrupt.

The album kicks off with “Star100” a song that plays like three songs stitched together jumping from highs to lows, from childlike wonder to a Bagel Bites fueled mid-life spiral, its tonal shifts mirroring the different life stages it discusses. Next comes “Sound Of You Leaving” which is quietly devastating, but so incredibly captivating and vulnerable - it quickly became a personal standout for me. 

After a softer start, the next two tracks “Living Room” and "Berlin" bring in a much livelier energy to the album, anchored by steady guitar progressions and what sounds like a genuinely fun jam session. Especially the latter is an instant standout: bright, upbeat and the most pop forward song of the album, whilst holding an array of instruments that make it so interesting.

The next two tracks "New Dream" and "Miniskirt" lean fully into a meditative haze and feel like being underwater somehow. That stillness makes the next track, and my personal favorite on this album, stand out even more. “Self Tape,” is an almost entirely instrumental song, but ends up one of the most exhilarating moments and feels like being on the verge of something - I´d love to listen to this on an airplane or a summer festival.

There are hooks that loop into your brain, and the next track "Postinternetfame" has that with its “baby you should call me”, an autotune goldmine that creates the perfect longing feeling. Speaking of lyrics that catch you, in “New Girls" she mentions "I can't stop you from loving new girls" on repeat. It hurts, but it almost functions like a mantra to remind yourself that it's time to move on because they have. Not to mention that this track has an incredible beat, it's steady and fun, but also incredibly sad. 

The next two songs ¨Angelic Photo" and "Place You Can Fill" are rhythmic breaks between two powerful songs, and that's because the final track ¨You Say I Love You" is a hard-hitter. It's a confession about recklessly following someone no matter what, and doubting that their feelings are true. The track is accompanied by a handheld, ocean-side video that is the perfect pairing for the song, and side-note: a show of Riya's impeccable fashion. Once more the beat makes me feel like a mess of emotions and I can picture Quiet Light writing this in her diary and feeling that exact same emotional messiness.

I think that's one of the most special things about this album, that the beats contain so many emotions that pull you in all directions, leaving you to untangle and ponder on what you are feeling. If this is what Quiet Light sounds like balancing medicine and music, consider this your prescription: press play and don’t skip. 

Even better, if you want some real life medicine, Quiet Light has 4 release shows coming up this May in Brooklyn, Austin, Chicago and LA!

Listen to Blue Angel Sparkling Silver 2 here: