Gemma - Feeling's Not A Tempo (2019)

In The Gunners, a novel by Rebecca Kauffman*, one of the characters describes “love” as the “the ground rising up to meet your feet”. It’s that moment when you may have hopped off the back tailgate of a truck, landing both feet on the ground. It’s that feeling — that security — that you’re safe, that you’re somewhere comfortable, that you’re somewhere like what “home” should be. It’s effortless! As you can see, it’s not a perfect metaphor, but it’s hard to describe something so intangible and personal with words. So, if you want, the next time you are trying to describe what love is, you can bring up a quote from a book that not a lot of people have read, or you can just let them listen to Feeling’s Not A Tempo by Gemma.

Feeling’s Not A Tempo is a bright, lush pop record created by Felicia Douglass and Erik Gundel. Douglass is probably best known for her work with Ava Luna, but she has collaborated with several other artists (including BAILE, Dirty Projectors, etc.), while Gundel has recorded some solo releases, including what is one of the best ambient records of the past five years. The two’s individual sensibilities complement each other incredibly well — Douglass’s vocal presence is commanding, and Gundel’s production is deceptively layered. If Douglass is a big-picture artist, Gundel brings a special attention-to-detail. The result is a phenomenal album that evokes feelings of love.