What exactly is a citizen of glass? Agnes Obel has said her idea for this album came from the German concept “gläserner Mensch”: someone who is transparent and is required to show every aspect of their life, rejecting their privacy. The concept is one close to Obel, as she has voiced concerns about retaining her private life, whilst exposing herself so much as a musical artist.
Constant scrutiny is a theme that, lyrically, is recurrently referred to by Obel. Lyrics such as “they say every sin will have a thousand eyes” from the track Stone, or “these bare bones are made of glass/see-through to the marrow as they pass” from Trojan Horses evidently draw the listener’s attention to the concept of being constantly observed, of being forced to disclose every element of personal/private life, which Obel seems to oppose in lyrics such as “I tell myself I wanna hide”.
Stepping away from the uncomplicated melodies of her previous albums, Agnes Obel plays more with layering and, therefore, creating different, sometimes distorted and unnatural sounds.
She has expressed the desire to experiment and use other instruments, including a spinet, harpsichord and the very rare trautonium from the 1920s. That isn’t to say she’s abandoned the piano and strings of her previous work – they are ever present, along with arrangements drawn from classical and folk roots. Just as every album so far, Obel has put in the time and effort to write, record, and mix everything herself on this record. And even though some of the simplicity beloved by fans is gone, the sense of genuineness is not.
Obel has departed from using the warm, low tones of her voice she employed on ‘Aventine’ in favor of a high-pitched head voice and even falsetto. This leaves a sort of wispy, ephemeral, fairyland-type feeling, as if one were looking into her musical universe inside a snow globe. Whilst the lyrics are more focused on the concept of the album, the musicality of the album creates a sense of the entire composition being similar in quality to glass itself – delicate, fragile, but separating the listener from the outside world.
The much more complex and layered musical arrangements, as well as various voice-altering effects (such as the song Familiar, where Obel’s voice becomes a low-pitched manly version of herself) seem excessive at times. They most definitely could strike out with some people, but do serve to add to the illusion of the music being made of glass. The album would be easier to listen to had there been more of the melodic elements of Obel’s previous work, but for a large part of the album melodies give way to runs of high-pitched notes.
Songs such as It’s Happening Again are more reminiscent of the old Agnes, where it’s just her voice, a harmony, string arrangement and piano. Of course, there are also the characteristic instrumental tracks in which Obel showcases her composing abilities. Her uncanny way of evoking very specific emotions or thoughts remains, and she is able to create a sense of danger and anxiety in some tracks, keeping in tone with the general concept of the album.
Perhaps not as good as ‘Aventine’, which was masterful in its own way, ‘Citizen of Glass’ represents a new musical direction for Agnes Obel, as she continues to successfully enchant her listeners with the magical universe she creates on this album.
