Ed O’Brien has just released Blue Morpho, which ishis “hauntingly beautiful” (Vulture) second solo album and first under his own name through Transgressive. NPR Music claimed “O’Brien really achieves a true fusion…where he brings his own soul and heart and experience into it,” while Rolling Stone said the album’s “strikingly personal tone and daring creative risks make it feel like a debut.”
And today, O’Brien has released the album’s accompanying short film, Blue Morpho: The Three Act Play, on YouTube. The film premiered at SXSW in March before screenings in London, Oxford, Paris, Sydney, Mexico City, Tokyo and Denver. Directed in Wales by Kit Monteith, the film offers an honest and intimate portrait of O’Brien. Written during years of personal reflection and experimentation, the album emerged from long improvisational sessions, where the artist immersed himself in sound as a way to process emotional upheaval and renewal. The result is a record that navigates transformation, healing and spiritual connection, shaped by both introspection and collaboration.
A series of serendipitous encounters helped bring Blue Morpho to life. Epworth became a central creative partner, while saxophonist and composer Shabaka Hutchings contributed flutes following conversations around resonance and frequency at Glastonbury. Dave Okumu weaves radiant, intricate guitar work throughout the record, ESKA lends additional vocals, and acclaimed Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits arranged the album’s string parts, performed by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, deepening the record’s rich and expansive emotional landscape.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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