Message To Bears is the musical moniker of Jerome Alexander. Alexander melds ambient, electro, and more traditional instrumentation for a concoction all his own. He’s set to release his fourth LP, Carved From Tides, this summer, and if the introductory single “I’ll Lead You There” is any indication, it will be an adept mixture of his competing sensibilities.

The song opens with a lulling acoustic arpeggio for a folky feel that is soon interjected by glitchy vocal samples and synths, an intricate rolling drum pattern, and lush violin flourishes. Guest vocalist Will Samson coos tenderly and sparsely over the beat, settling the song in a wonderful serenity among the constantly evolving surrounding soundscape. It has a cinematic feel in its ebb and flow of energy, and the multilevel balance of minimal lyrics versus densely textured sounds, and digital versus live instrumentation makes for a multi-faceted, ever-engaging trip.

Here’s what Alexander had to say about the album:

The album is supposed to reflect a transitional period in one’s life, referencing change in circumstances, decisions, relationships with others and evolution as a an individual, whether subtle or not, which thereby influences where you are now, and realizing wherever you are now is okay, and that you are in a constant state of flux. When writing it, I was going through what felt like a very transitional period myself, and I guess this was my way of processing it.

Artwork:

Tracklist:

01 “Never Be”

02 “Blossom”

03 “Breathe”

04 “Spin/Float” (feat. Gemma Alexander)

05 “They Ran”

06 “Beneath Our Snow”

07 “I’ll Lead You There” (feat. Will Samson)

08 “When You’re Gone”

09 “Hold On”

Carved From Tides is out 7/1. Pre-order it here.