With Ekko, Berlin-based Irish-Norwegian artist Tara Nome Doyle unveils her third album—a journey that ventures outward into the unknown and inward to the depths of the self. Along the way, it explores pain, farewells, new beginnings, and ultimately, acceptance. Spanning just 30 minutes, the album exudes a remarkable clarity—not just in its brevity, but in its emotional depth. Songs like Lighthouse, Bad Days, and Dive In feature refrains destined for large venues, their powerful melodies soaring on pop-infused harmonies before retreating into the intimacy of the verses. Tara produced most of Ekko herself, intentionally keeping the musical palette simple. She collaborated with Grammy winning producer and engineer Simon Goff (The Joker, Chernobyl) to create a precise, stripped-back soundscape built around voice, piano, guitar, strings, Mellotron, and occasional analog synthesizers. A personal touch lies in the string arrangements: before transcribing the cello parts, Tara recorded vocal demos for each line herself. Ancient myths weave seamlessly through Ekko, intertwining with Tara’s introspective themes. The figures of Narcissus and the nymph Echo embody two extremes—self-obsession on one side and complete conformity on the other. These ideas resonate deeply in today’s digital landscape, where identity often shifts between authenticity and the pressure to assimilate. With Ekko, Tara reveals how repetition—like Echo’s curse—is not merely mimicry but can be transformative: a reinterpretation of tradition and identity. Here, Echo becomes more than a passive voice; she is a medium for reshaping and reclaiming meaning. On the album cover, Tara wears shell headphones, a poignant symbol of listening inward. The sound we hear is not distant or external—it’s the pulse of our own blood coursing through our veins. The untainted dreams of what it means to be a human and an artist have faded— perhaps they were never entirely her own, but shaped by others. Now, the waves crash against the reflection, and the sea roars. It’s a sound that resonates through all of us—a deep echo of our own being.
