Describing his sound as “Happy/Sad music for Happy/Sad people”, Scottish alt-rock artist Gloom is Okay is spot on, in that his music takes listeners from euphoric highs to crushing lows and back again. Drawing from an array of elements ranging from alternative and dream rock to progressive and metal, and blending darker lyrical themes with complex melodies, gorgeous guitar riffs and grandiose synths, his unique sound is variously reminiscent of some of his favorite acts like Porcupine Tree, Thrice, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and Anathema, to name but a few. He started the project in the early days of Covid lockdown as a kind of coping mechanism, and being an advocate for positive mental health, he wanted to put a positive spin on things through his music. He loves listening to sad music and embracing the myriad emotions it brings out, both good and bad.

Based in Glasgow, Gloom is Okay is the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Martin Walker. Involved with music from an early age, he was previously a member of award-winning Scottish progressive rock band Akord, who released an EP Carry the Sound in 2013 and an album Ethereality in 2016. In 2020, Gloom is Okay released his debut solo EP Loopholes, featuring five exquisite instrumental tracks so dramatic and beautiful, they literally take my breath away. After a two and a half year-long hiatus, he began dropping a series of new singles this past March, culminating in the release of his second self-titled EP Gloom is Okay on July 14th.

For the recording of the EP, Martin sang lead vocals and played guitars, bass, piano and programmed synths, Iain MacLeod played additional bass, Mark Norris played drums, and Scottish musician and singer Modern Sonder sang additional vocals on “Pine”. The EP was mixed and mastered by Tomekeeper Productions.

I loved Gloom is Okay at first listen, and though it sounds different from Loopholes, due in large part to the inclusion of lyrics and vocals, it’s every bit as dramatic and gorgeous. It opens with “Butcher“, a song about being stuck in a recurring cycle of counter-productive behavior, unable to change for the better: “Repetition, to fill the gap. It makes me wonder what I’ve never had. My inhibitions, thrown from the shade. It makes me wonder If I will ever stay.” The song is a progressive rock gem, with vibrant, edgy guitars, exuberant drums and soaring atmospheric synths. Martin’s somewhat echoed vocals have a haunting but warm quality that’s both pleasing and impactful.

“Gravity” speaks to Martin’s struggles with writing music, or as he so beautifully puts it, “it’s a song about the madness of musicians…for those moments where you just want to smack your head against a brick wall, hoping the ideas will fall out of your ear.” The song has a beautiful but mysterious vibe, with a haunting melody that alternates between moments of calm with delicate piano keys, airy synths and chiming guitars, to cinematic flourishes of grungy guitars, heavy bass and tumultuous drums. Martin’s vocals have an emphatic sense of urgency as he sings “We show fire. Madness like gravity. We grow but you’d rather conserve your energy. Feeling low but inspired to scrawl through this melody. From head to toe expired, but I’ll swim through this debris.” The official video shows a woman experiencing her own little bout of madness.

The darkly beautiful “Pine” is sort of like two different songs in one. The first three-quarters of the track consists of a lush, moody soundscape, punctuated by gorgeous shimmery guitars and sharp percussion and the stunning dual vocals of Martin and Modern Sonder (aks Jazz Dey), backed by their own harmonies. At 3:21, the music abruptly explodes with a furious riff played by Martin on his 8-string Strandberg guitar, accompanied by Mark Norris’ pummeling drums, for the final minute of the track.

About the song, Martin explains: “I wrote “Pine” when the whole world shut down and I felt like I was missing an important piece of a never ending puzzle. Although there was no end in sight at the time, I could see the positive effects of conversations and searching for the good in the little things. It’s a positive spin on what was probably one of the most difficult times for a lot of people.” This is expressed in the lyrics “We pine but we’re focussed, with no more time to readjust. We saw a stable flare to guide us through, to see us through. But we are breaking through with no tools in our hands. We are mending you.”

The rather mysterious video shows a young teenage boy and two young Asian women exploring a scary-looking derelict abandoned building.

A deep and grungy synth bass introduces us to “Phantom“, an intense, ominous-sounding track that seems to speak of people who are out of touch, and no longer dealing with reality: “Have you even considered at all that you’re missing time? You only project what you thought caused this to climb. Within the grey you don’t comply. But you’ve found the way and the phantom’s live.”

Martin calls the final track “Good Morning” the one love song on the EP. Though running nearly six minutes, it’s a real tour de force so compelling and beautiful that it seems over sooner than I want it to end. It starts off as a lovely piano ballad as Martin croons “I can’t wait for the echo as it follows you, so I can keep up. And I will stay for the moment it fades off of you, cause I’ll still see it.” At the one-minute mark, a sensuous Latin dance beat takes over, accompanied by finger snaps and melodic guitar notes lasting around 40 seconds. The music then slows back down to an enchanting interlude before the wonderful Latin beat returns at 2:20. At 3:40, heavier gnarly guitars ensue, along with crashing cymbals, bold percussion until finally a scorching guitar solo brings everything to an electrifying crescendo in the bridge. The grungy vibes then continue through to the end of the track.

Gloom is Okay is a glorious little EP, with lots of beauty and drama packed into its 23 minutes. As Gloom is Okay, Martin and company have done an masterful job creating this exquisite collection of songs, and they should be proud of what they’ve achieved here. He’s an insanely talented songwriter and musician, and I look forward to hearing more from him.

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Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube / Amazon