Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore’s Tragic Magic blends harp, synth and voice

Los Angeles-based composers Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore have produced their first collaborative album, Tragic Magic, after years of touring together; Barwick has referred to their connection as a "musical telepathy". The album grew out of a short series of improvisation sessions in Paris and is presented as an immersive set of new age and ambient tracks.

The sessions took place shortly after last year’s California wildfires, which the two musicians experienced as residents, and the review says tragedy and hope cut through the dreamlike haze of the compositions. Barwick’s airy, reverbed vocals and atmospheric synth washes interweave with Lattimore’s twinkling harp across the album.

Tracks range from the delicate, lullaby-like opener Perpetual Adoration to the quietly desperate Haze With No Haze, where brittle, staccato melody and Barwick’s high register are prominent; the review notes her lyrics remain indiscernible, blurring into texture and shapeless whispers.

The pair sometimes reach toward epic moments, including a murky take on Rachel’s Song from Blade Runner and the climactic Stardust, which adds a drum kick five minutes in. Even at their most spare, the songs feel more grand and cinematic than the artists’ solo work, with Lattimore’s harp given particular space.

Key Topics

Culture, Tragic Magic, Julianna Barwick, Mary Lattimore, Paris, California Wildfires