Darkher is an intriguing, haunting trip through the mind and spirit of UK artist J. Maiven, a West Yorkshire-based vocalist / songwriter whose powerful, captivating music is characterized by slowly building storm clouds of guitars and haunting, spine-tingling vocals. The sound of Darkher is veined by both an unsettling atmosphere of encroaching dread and a deep, otherworldly confidence. Realms follows on from the critically acclaimed EP, The Kingdom Field, which was released in 2014.

Her debut album, Realms, impressively proves that the fire of great expectations raised by the debut's spark were more than justified. The album features nine distinctive, dynamic and dramatic tracks that are impossible to resist. Songs such as the sternly imploring Moths, the driving Wars, with its signature drum march, or the sinister, unfathomable Buried or Foregone may be mentioned as cornerstones of an album that, due to its quality and diversity, bears the potential earmarks of a future classic.

Lyrically, Realms mirrors the ominous, awe-inspiring character of the music; the tales on the album lie somewhere between this sphere and the unseen worlds before and beyond. Darkher songs reveal Maivens relationship with fear, death and spirituality and question how love can connect souls from past, present and future.