For a November-released record explicitly about break-ups,
Azure Blue’s
Rule of Thirds shows a pretty blatant disregard for the downer days of winter, with its
surfing cover art and Tobias Isaksson's weightless Bahama breeze of a voice. The album's in another world, but the tone's not quite escapist—Isaksson never denies the major bummers of his life. It just refuses to be sad, staying dreamy and sentimental no matter what. In the eyes of the incredible director
Mattias Erik Johansson, that mind state's all clouds and beach and fantastic beauties, a pretty place where everything overlaps (check out similar ecstatic magic in his videos for
The Sound of Arrows). Whether it's too many jackets or actual bad times that knock you into a state of malaise, it's a blessing to have guides like these to pull you back up.
And after you've digested the "Seasons" video above, listen to Isaksson's new remix below, a driving take on fellow Hybrism artist Jonathan Johansson’s "Stockholm." Even showcasing another vocalist, there's something totally, soothingly transporting about this sound.
Stream: Jonathan Johansson, "Stockholm (Azure Blue Remix)"
