A Blade Because a Blade is Whole is the latest album from London-based composer-poet-activist-improviser Alabaster DePlume, his first major work following 2022s GOLD and 2020’s To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol 1.

The 11-song album covers all of DePlumes musical touchstones: lush and gentle instrumentals informed by ghostly ancient folk melodies; groove-focused rhythm explorations as a bed for self-searching spoken declamations; sweeping and beautiful string arrangements (in this case by Macie Stewart) set against his trademark vibrato-infused tenor sax whispermoan.

Most of all, A Blade… finds Alabaster DePlume at his most purposeful and direct yet, building on foundations laid through years of writing and touring to craft this ambitious work. Here lyrical explorations of healing, dignity, and struggle set the tone of the music itselfthe mysterious and tense sensuality of the Melody Nelson-like strings on Form a V; the playful and idiosyncratic echoes of the 1960s British Folk scene on Invincibility; the golden-era Elvrum level of vocal intimacy on Too Trueits all handed over with such familiarity and intention that the albums full sonic grandness reveals itself at an IV-drip-pace.

A blade, because a blade is whole, it has forgiven itself, and because it will take a small piece of our opposite, for us to be complete. A blade has marked out these former selves on my hand, a blade made the lines that divine us and the blade is whole. A blade. While I forgive myself, and heal, and lead us in healing. We can only forgive each other once we forgive ourselves. We can only heal each other while we heal ourselves.

Format / LP
Released /03/14/2025
Catalogue /ILAM-90A
Barcode /634457198241
Artist /Alabaster DePlume
Label /International Anthem
Genre /Jazz