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"Raphael's languid instrumentals are all too easy to melt into." - Exclaim!
"Raphael indulges by opening up that affecting guitar-vocal pairing to a lush bridge with added horn, guitar and drums." - CBC Music
"The track seemingly blooms from a spacious and rustic folk sound into something far more lavish." - Under The Radar
"Tranquil melodies flow over electronic and acoustic instrumentation." - American Songwriter
Photo Credit : Andre Rainville // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
How do you anchor yourself when occupying multiple geographic identities at once? For Edwin Raphael, the Dubai-born, Montreal-based songwriter, it requires an intentional and intensive form of world-building. By developing an unmistakable style of folk that merges Eastern scales with the Western pop canon, Raphael reimagines his music as a exploratory tool that allows him to construct an interior and sacred home to retreat into.
On his new single, “Sights Like These”, he reflects on “trying to shake off the lingering cloud above because you’re done hurting. Fresh love and its newness aim to disrupt this feeling and renew. However you realize maybe love isn’t about being realistic and the past isn't foreshadowing the present either. You got to dive in or you’re lying to yourself. The song reminds me that constant vigilance will not keep me from getting hurt.”
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“SIGHTS LIKE THESE” SINGLE ARTWORK // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
MORE ABOUT EDWIN RAPHAEL
Growing up in Dubai, as the son of parents who immigrated from the city of Cochin in India’s coastal Kerala state, Raphael studied classical guitar before deciding on the keys. As he developed an affinity for John Mayer and Ben Howard, he felt at odds with Dubai’s distinct sense of “placelessness” — and the bewildering feeling of being immersed in a culture where everyone claimed an alternate homeland. It wasn’t until he moved to Montreal to pursue a business degree that he felt a sense of stability, and became deeply entangled with the city’s indie bedroom pop scene.
His debut EP Ocean’s Walk (2015) paired stirring, melancholic instrumentals with a fierce self-reckoning. It would set the stage for a string of releases that would dive deeper into the psyche; like confronting the aftershocks following a significant heartbreak, or relearning your emotional baseline as you mature. Subsequent releases, Cold Nights (2017), his acclaimed debut Will You Think of Me Later? (2019), and its follow up Staring at Ceilings (2021), reveal an artist devoted to sharpening his ability to translate his experiences into ubiquitous statements, and saw him open for Hollow Coves, JP Saxe, Noah Kahan.
PRAISE FOR STARING AT CEILINGS
“'Sea of Things' feels primal, mimicking the ocean with cyclical, crashing movements, patiently building itself up and washing itself back out." - FLAUNT
"Calming ambience and angelic vocals." - Lyrical Lemonade
"Chill pop with a touch of folk." - EARMILK
"Weightless and ethereal" - Indie Shuffle
"The instrumental and harmonic components provide the same floating-in-space feeling we love from Fleet Foxes." - Culture Collide
"Offers an escape from anxiety." - Kajal
"Incredibly raw and emotional." - C-Heads
"A gently addictive soundscape, all wistful energy and patient." - Beats Per Minute
"Notes of Bon Iver and Frank Ocean come to a glorious head to create something moving, exciting and fresh." - The Rodeo