“The Light, The Beautiful Liar” – Riley Catherall

An album of moonlit tapestry spun from strands of love, loss, and meditation, “The Light, The Beautiful Liar,” is Riley Catherall’s sophomore offering. Catherall takes listeners on a journey through the dark recesses of his soul with every song, where the echoes of love lost echo through the night.

Catherall’s songwriting is a delicate interplay between openness and lyrical expression. Under a starry sky, his songs sound like secret confessions. In the song “Bark At The Moon,” he sings, “The night dies with the dawn here, a new day breaks on the pavement, and I haven’t changed enough. I’m a broke down believer.” All the pain of yearning is captured in these lines—the frantic hope that the night will somehow provide answers.

Light and sorrow are themes that Catherall returns to throughout the record. A love that flourishes under the moonlight but withers away in the light of day is shown vividly in “Coming Down, Coming Over”, whilst the songs reference to the albums title in its lyrics encapsulates the ambivalent charm of deceit, illustrating how love may assume the form of truth until the break of morning exposes its flimsy facade. The vulnerability of love, how it often crumbles in the light of day, is captured in his singing, with a voice that stays, leaving a trail of yearning.

Catherall creates an evocative sonic environment in tandem with producer Damian Cafarella, reflecting the ideas explored throughout the record. An intimate yet vast audio canvas is created by the production’s combination of acoustic warmth and electronic edges. Imagine two friends being on a moonlit hill, surveying a wide emotional landscape whilst sharing a cigarette, a bottle of red wine and a blanket around your shoulders. That’s how it feels.

An example of this equilibrium between producer and artist is “South Of Somewhere”. The sweeping melody on the electric guitar makes one think of interstate highways and hidden partnerships. Every note rings true because of Cafarella’s touch and fused with Catherall’s sublime vocals. The song’s tempo, which ranges from calm to fast, leads us through the maze of the night.

You should listen to “The Light, The Beautiful Liar” while you’re alone. It’s the perfect background music for moonlit strolls, hidden whispers, driving in the rain and times when you are trying to understand the inexplicable pain of love. As Catherall’s whispered vocals lull us into slumber, we are transported to a world where stars and memories dance together and the soul battles its own demons.

As the last chords die out, a paradox remains: the allure of deceit, the light that shows and conceals. Maybe that’s when we connect with the night’s secrets, our own beautiful liars, and the lovers we’ve lost, and if you let “The Light, The Beautiful Liar” be your guide, you won’t be alone.