Singer-songwriter Manolis Aggelakis is back with a greek lyric album, titled “Emeis Apostasame (Tired We Are)”, almost two years after the instrumental LP “The Stone We Had In Our Mouth” (Same Difference, 2020).

Working in isolation in his studio in the depths of pandemic lockdown, his gaze turned inward, he wrote music and lyrics for five tracks and he set to music his favourite poem by Cavafys “I Polis (The City)”. For the first time the recordings could not happen in the traditional group way. All the musicians/contributors of the album, who are connected with Aggelakis with bonds of friendship, participated from a distance, each from their own base and with the help of digital technology. “Emeis Apostasame” is the manifestation of this considerable effort, time and collaborative energy.

The album lyrics, intimate and intense, talk about life, maturity, uncertainty and loss. Although pessimistic in their majority, like the album title itself, they are often illuminated by the spark of the hope and the dream that persists. That sensibility, paired with Aggelakis’ unmistakable voice and force of personality make this album stand out as a special specimen of modern urban songwriting.

Out on LP and Digital via Inner Ear.