Fresh from releasing his double album, græ, earlier this year, Moses Sumney has returned to NPR for another Tiny Desk Concert. With the series having to shift to home concerts due to COVID-19, the performances have become even more intimate than they famously are, and Sumney's is no exception.
This is the second time Sumney has delivered a Tiny Desk Concert, with the artist first gracing the actual Tiny Desk itself back in 2017. Fast forward to 2020 and he is just as glorious as ever. Taking listeners through three songs from græ, as well as a special rendition of 'Rank & File' (taken from the 2018 EP, ‘Black in Deep Red, 2014’) dedicated to those on the front line of civil rights protests in the United States fighting for Black lives, Moses' ethereal, captivating vocals shine so brightly as he effortlessly performs ‘Bless Me’, ‘Me in 20 Years’ and ‘Polly’.
Speaking to the camera in between songs, Sumney joked about releasing the record during a pandemic, saying, “I’m performing songs off of my new album which I released in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, so that was fun.”
"But all of the songs are about loneliness and isolation so, who’s laughing now?”
A lot of music that was written prior to the COVID-19 global outbreak but has since been released during this bizarre time has taken on new meanings for both artists and fans, and Sumney's stunning, stirring and deeply emotive music has done exactly that for us. It's poignant, full of yearning for connection and understanding, and reassuring that even though we might be disconnected, we still aren't alone. Watch the performance below:
Words by Emma Jones
Image via Youtube
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