Editor’s Note: Our new, recurring “Albumism Recommends” series aims to shine a bright light on our favorite albums of the past, with an emphasis on the records that arguably never achieved the widespread or sustained attention they rightfully deserve. As you’ll see below, unlike our longer-form feature articles, we’ve intentionally kept the accompanying commentary to a minimum, so as to allow the great music to speak for itself.

We hope that you enjoy discovering (or rediscovering) these musical treasures and if you like what you hear, we encourage you to spread the good word far and wide so that others can experience these under-the-radar classics as well.

ARTIST: Dot Allison
TITLE: Afterglow
RELEASED: October 6, 1999
LABEL: Heavenly/Arista
NOTABLE TRACKS: “Colour Me” | “Mo’ Pop” | “Tomorrow Never Comes”

Six years after the ephemeral Scottish trio One Dove unveiled their stellar debut (and only) studio album White Morning Dove (1993), the group’s versatile vocalist Dot Allison formally resurfaced with her inspired, inaugural solo LP Afterglow (1999). A kaleidoscopic song suite that gracefully traverses sterling pop fare (“Close Your Eyes,” “Mo’ Pop”), haunting, atmospheric electronic compositions (“Colour Me,” “Message Personnel”) and sparse, melancholic balladry (“Tomorrow Never Comes,” “Did I Imagine You?”), Afterglow is a work of radiant and refined beauty.

ALSO RECOMMENDED:

We Are Science (2002)
Heart-Shaped Scars (2021)

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