In Another Life

The third full-length from Patrick Grossi, aka Active Child, 2020s In Another Life finds the multi-talented vocalist and harpist combining the neo-soul and R&B inflections of 2015s Mercy with an even deeper dive into his Baroque classical and ambient pop influences. Co-produced by Andrew Sarlo, who previously worked with Local Natives, Big Thief, and Bon Iver, among others, In Another Life is a deeply atmospheric production rife with soaring strings, intricate harp arrangements, and layers of Grossis icy falsetto vocals. Theres a noticeable emotional weight to these songs, many of which were written during a period that found him getting married, witnessing the birth of his first child, and parting ways with his longtime record label. He brings all of this life experience to bear on In Another Life, crafting hypnotic, darkly tinted soundscapes like the piano-driven All Eyes on You and the moody, slow-burn ballad Color Me. While there are certainly heavy moments here, theres also an ebullient sense of hope that Grossi threads throughout many of the songs. In the gospel-tinged All Eyes on You, he sings Every little thing you do/I will be there/Then I just help you through/Until you let me. He also captures this emotive uplift on the sparkling Set Me Free, with the tracks finger-snap percussion and harmonized chorus bringing to mind a surprisingly fun mix of 90s Boyz II Men and electro crooner James Blake. Elsewhere, Grossi deftly mixes a yearning R&B lyricism with his spare, medieval-style harp on Spirit Buoy, and offers yet more floating, falsetto-steeped romanticism on the languid Brighter Day. ~ Matt Collar