Pisgah – the solo project of a North Carolina native who’s now making music from her Greater London attic – just let out “Cumulonimbus,” and wow, this thing rocks.
Pisgah is the creation of a sharp, self-aware songwriter who isn’t afraid to dig deep. You can hear the influence of powerhouses like Emma Ruth Rundle and grouper’s atmospheric vibes, but “Cumulonimbus” mixes those lyrics with something that somehow feels huge and personal at the same time. Here’s the kicker – she recorded this in her home studio, which you reach by climbing a telescope ladder. How rock ‘n roll is that? But don’t think DIY means rough around the edges; Dan Duszynski (yeah, the guy who’s worked with Jess Williamson and Loma) mixed and mastered this baby, giving it that dreamy-but-punchy sound that hits just right.
What really makes “Cumulonimbus” stand out? It’s the heavyweight themes packed inside. Pisgah takes this storm cloud metaphor – you know, volatile, unpredictable, absolutely loaded with raw power – and uses it to dig into generational trauma and inherited grief. Heavy stuff, right? But she delivers it with brutal honesty and a sound that perfectly matches all that inner turbulence. The instrumentation’s rich and carefully layered: three guitar tracks (clean, crunchy, and condenser-miced) create this massive wall of beautiful sound. Here’s a cool detail – the song kicks off with this bass-like picking pattern played on guitar. Even after they wrote a proper bass line, they kept it in there, giving the intro that distinct, moody feel.
Yunno what’s refreshing? There’s zero pretension here – just rock-solid songwriting, clever production, and lyrics that hit deeper every time you listen. “Cumulonimbus” isn’t simply a killer track on its own; it’s the opener for her upcoming album Faultlines, dropping November 7th.
Pisgah may have exiled herself from the American South, but she’s channelling all that sticky humidity, pine-forest nostalgia, and complicated beauty into music that hits home no matter where you’re from. “Cumulonimbus” is a declaration, so buckle up for what’s coming next.