Lynn Fister is a butterfly, in both the figurative and literal senses. No, she doesn’t have beautiful wings, but her continued ability to tightly pack herself into a cocoon and change colors and shapes is very insect-like. But she also DOES have wings; spiritual and gauzy and delicate. On The Gilded Hegemony of Stars, Fister seems to say so long to her old cocoon known as Aloonaluna. And that cocoon has metamorphosed over time, from a droned, folk-ish skin of loneliness into an outgoing, boisterous message of hope and camaraderie. The Gilded Hegemony of Stars is a far more electronic and neon than past Aloonaluna releases, likely signifying her new form as Farewell Phoenix. It’s a showy, vibrant album that has transformed those old ambient woes into atmospheric rhythms. Where “old” Aloonaluna crawled like a slug, “new” Aloonaluna is unfettered, carried gladly by the breeze. And though it seems Aloonaluna is now a Phoenix, there’s still something left as she molts and evolves. The grow chart of Aloonaluna may come to fruition on The Gilded Hegemony of Stars, but it is not some sad goodbye. It’s a triumphant—and confident—changing of the guard. Now fly….fly away from here.
More about: Aloonaluna
