There are albums you listen to, and albums you inhabit. Metanoia, out now from Falling You, belongs firmly to the latter.
Created by composer and sound sculptor John Michael Zorko, Metanoia unfolds as a deeply immersive emotional environment rather than a conventional collection of tracks. Built from atmospheric synths, textured guitars, and cinematic sound design, the album moves slowly and deliberately, allowing space for reflection, memory, and emotional shift.
The title Metanoia—a word describing a profound change of heart or mind—perfectly frames the listening experience. Across eleven tracks, Zorko explores grief, beauty, cosmic longing, and quiet resilience. Nothing here is rushed. Each piece feels intentional, patient, and inward-looking.
Collaboration sits at the heart of the album. A carefully curated group of guest vocalists drift through the record, their voices carrying much of its emotional gravity. Rather than dominating the compositions, these performances emerge organically, blending into the soundscape and reinforcing the album’s sense of shared emotional space. Songs like “Alcyone,” “Flesh to Tree,” and “Ariadne” feel both intimate and vast, while the closing moments of “(trying to weave) A Thread of Happiness” land with a rare softness.
Genre lines dissolve throughout Metanoia. Ambient, dream pop, and cinematic post-rock coexist without friction, creating a sound that feels expansive yet deeply personal. It is an album best experienced in full—headphones on, distractions removed—where its slow-building arcs can fully take hold.
In a culture defined by speed and noise, Metanoia offers something increasingly rare: music that asks for presence rather than attention. It doesn’t demand reaction. It invites stillness.
