New Mexico-born, Boston-based Ella Aslin has been surrounded by music her whole life, from growing up with music-loving parents, a singing sister, and early piano lessons to a bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Writing and Production. So it’s no surprise that she eventually found the courage to start releasing her own music.
In the run up to the release of her debut album For the Life of Me (set to come out in October 2026), Ella has been releasing singles, the latest of which is “Prophecy”.
Ella’s description of the song is poetry in itself, so I will quote her in full here:
“Loving others often causes us as much pain as it does joy. Regardless of the taste it leaves in our mouths, we continue to crave it, and it continues to return to us over and over again. I compare it to the feeling of wishing for rain during a drought. In Prophecy, the rain that comes is acidic. It causes pain, but we need it. Love and grief come from the same source, and you can’t have one without the other. I find that concept so daunting and fascinating, so I wrote a song about it.”
With so much conflict and pain at its source, listening to “Prophecy” is a wonderfully cathartic surprise. It’s a beautiful, elegant, mature sound that warms the heart and soothes the soul.
The song starts as it means to go on: warm and delicate with restrained keys, ghostly pads, and a tactile guitar.
Ella’s vocal floats over the top, with subtle effects widening its reach. You can feel the heartache and pain in the melody.
There are no sharp edges here: things are smooth and tasteful and it keeps a calm head throughout. Then there are the lyrics. I have to say, it’s pretty intense stuff!
“I’d pollute my lungs if smoke was your body
Staining my fingers with nicotine
I’d poke holes in the Bible you gave me to study
If I believed in a god I know they would have your name.”
I would recommend listening to “Prophecy” with headphones, so every breath and analogue squeak of the instruments comes through loud and clear. You will be transported to a lush, dreamlike world, and – my prophecy is simple – you’ll want to stay there.
Take a listen to “Prophecy” below.
Written by Grubby
