Jef Maarawi’s new album “Gospel”, is a raw exploration of grief, masculinity, and the weight of things left unsaid. While his previous record, “TERRA PAPAGALLI”, is an extroverted account of his alienation towards Brazil, “Gospel” dives into more introspective themes, capturing a six-day live recording session on tape. It blends Jef’s folk roots with aggressive rock vibes, channeling a messy plethora of influences that intertwine to make up this “broken prayer” of an album.

At its heart, “Gospel” is an intimate plea to a flawed deity that lives within. It’s a series of unanswered prayers, the quiet confessions of things left unsaid: the words Jef couldn’t share with his father in “Babossa”, the struggle of expressing oneself in a familiar yet foreign language in “Língua”, the introspective musings in “Whale”, the unhinged despair in “This Should Be Fine” and the grief of unspoken farewells to lost friends.

“Gospel” is an album full of contradictions: delicate yet aggressive, rooted in tradition but chaotic. It moves between quiet moments to psychedelic swells, weaving together elements of folk, Brazilian soil, and rock. Most of all it is an album filled with the weight of everything that isn’t there.

“Gospel” is out on Limited edition LP and Digital album on 29 November 2024 via Inner Ear Records.