Release Date: 10 October 2025
Song Count: 14
Rating: 9.6/10
Description:
The popular Swiss music artist Nemo is one who has been passively on my radar ever since their first breakout song "The Code" and its embellished success skyrocketing them into the limelight, and after a series of following musical outputs further expressing themselves to their rapidly grown audience, their first ever actual album, Arthouse, finally released a mere two days ago at the time of this rating. Nemo has expressed that this album has been in the works for the likes of 10 entire years now, going through a very fascinating history to get to where it is now, and having listened to it, the entire decade's worth of dedication and craftsmanship is more than audible throughout every singular second of it.
Man, how do I even begin to describe this listening experience? The tracks within it vary in energy very drastically, going from uplifting and cheerful in one track, to slow and somber in another, to shrouded in mystery and groove in a third. There is so much I could possibly say in detail about every single track that would wildly differ from everything else that 13 entire blog posts could be reserved just for them, showcasing just how versatile the energies Nemo can musically provide in just one collection of songs.
The technicalities of the tracks absolutely soar, too, with Nemo's voice being an absolute standout factor in this album's success by utilising the flexibility, range and talent within them perfectly. The vocals set the mood wherever they need to, matching anything the different songs throw at them, further elevating the experience. This vocal excellence is accompanied by very gripping instrumentation throughout almost every song, produced and polished up to sheer divinity and capturing one's attention and interest so firmly that they don't let go until the very end.
There are furthermore so many thematic elements explored within the songs that they are too many to name and analyse in their sheer volume and capacity - from love, betrayal and heartbreak to personal change and self-discovery in all of its stages and manifestations, Arthouse has it all. It is apparent from the get-go that this was made with pure care and authenticity, Nemo putting every part of their soul out there in artistic form and writing narratives of the many things they have experienced and felt in a way that resonates with the listener, regardless of the actual commonality of these described experiences.
Personal highlights for me are "Easy", which I will most likely never get out of my head for the next few weeks, which I can only thank Nemo for, "Hocus Pocus", a very fun combination of piano samples and other traditional instruments with slick polish and composer-themed lyrics, "Unexplainable", a sore and deeply touching song about the struggles of navigating through parts of yourself that you and others around you may never possibly understand, "I Got High at The Party" with its variations from a grounded sound in most parts of it to a highly elevated, floating one provided by choir-like layered vocals that give me physical chills, and, of course, "The Code", serving as a culmination of every other song both musically and thematically, providing a conclusion of self-acceptance and peace within identity-based turmoil and a final hurrah to send the listener off on a true high note.
An absolute masterpiece, and an album I cannot recommend enough.