We were first struck by the left-field sound of Crywolf in past single ‘DRIP’, and since then the Californian polymath Justin Phillips has released his debut album widow [OBLIVIØN Pt. I]. Speaking of the album, Phillips shares: “This album is my dive into my unconscious self. A narrow-beamed flashlight illuminating creatures on the sea floor... a strange mixture of dread and familiarity.” It’s an album two years in the making, and one that will certainly leave a mark on the listener. While we could have covered any of the sixteen tracks, we’ve been drawn to ‘MEPHISTOPHELES’, which is a stunning composition stretching over five minutes and filling every single second with a dramatic narrative. Pervading throughout the song is a ticking clock, hinting at a sense of foreboding, much like in Mephistopheles' most well-known appearance in Christopher Marlowe’s play Dr Faustus. In the play, as in German folklore before it, Mephistopheles is a demon summoned by Faustus, and in the story, and he is an ultimately tragic character trapped in his own personal ever-present hell. This character is a personification of Crywolf’s “dread and familiarity,” which extends into the theatrical instrumentation. We hear blood-curdling guitar grinds, melancholic digital effects, crashing cymbals, all of which lead up to a truly resplendent crescendo, in which we hear Phillips’s voice reaching impassioned heights in hope for salvation. To wrap up, we’ll refer back to the artist’s statement, which he closed by saying: “I’m not trying to be pretty. I want you to see me. I want you to understand.” - Hannah Thacker