London-based poet, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Alabaster DePlume is releasing his ambitious new double album GOLD in just a couple of weeks, and today he has shared the latest single from it, “I’m Good At Not Crying”.
A song that drifts in a balmy atmosphere of loquacious instrumentation and cooing choral vocals, “I’m Good At Not Crying” easily lulls you into its sway. Once there, DePlume’s spoken words drift down upon you, and his conversational weirdness is revealed. He ruminates on what it is to be good at not crying and pontificates about not causing unnecessary concern, all in a voice that drips with simultaneous vulnerability and sardonicism. It’s a truly beguiling piece, made all the more confounding by the video.
On the clip, this statement has been released:
“The sun never set on the British Empire…
“Alabaster draws attention to an outdated tendency to inhibit emotional expression & healthy communication using the the best example he can find – himself. Dressed in drag as a fading representative of empire, he boasts to the viewer of his ability to not cry, while beside him a choir of men sing in women’s voices. His lion is long dead and stuffed, staring with glassy eyes, and behind him, repeatedly, (and contrary to the age-old saying), the sun is indeed setting, on the British Empire.”
Watch the video for “I’m Good At Not Crying” below or find it on streaming platforms.
Alabaster DePlume’s new album GOLD is out on April 1 through International Anthem (pre-order/save). You can find him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
