"tailor-made for nights under the duvet" - DIY

“a wonderfully bleary-eyed focus that ties-together jazz, ambient, acoustic singer-songwriter and blues in one beautiful stretched reverie” - Loud & Quiet (8/10)

“dreamy debut” - Clash (8/10)

“a prodigious talent with greatness in his sights” - Complex

“an intimate, jazz-inflected brand of bedroom R&B … soulful and grainy and intoxicating” - American Songwriter

“jazz-tinged late hours soul to languid hip-hop beats … music of real tension and originality” - The Sunday Times

Puma Blue today shares his new single ‘Already Falling’ ahead of the release of his long awaited debut album ‘In Praise of Shadows’ on Friday 5th February. The album will also be showcased as the 6Music Album of the Day on Thursday before being celebrated fully a week later with “A Late Night Special”, a one-off concert film due to be broadcast on February 11th.

Listen to 'Already Falling' below.

‘Already Falling’ features arguably the smoothest, most sensual vocals of Puma Blue’s career to date. “I’m already falling in love with the shape of you,” he sighs deliriously during the song’s beguiling hook. That seductive mood is complemented by its spacious, homespun production which embellishes its embryonic beat and pulsating bass with soft flourishes of guitar, strings and sax.

Thematically it continues Puma Blue’s flair for opening up about introspective vulnerabilities. As he explains, “‘Already Falling’ was written about the intoxication of waking up with someone special. You want to fall down the rabbit hole with them forever, but you’re also trying not to get too ahead of yourself. There’s a realisation that it’s too late for that, but it’s okay to give into those feelings when you trust yourself.”

‘Already Falling’ continues to build anticipation for ‘In Praise of Shadows’ after the release of ‘Velvet Leaves’, ‘Snowflower’, ‘Opiate’ and ‘Silk Print’. Collectively the songs form a dreamland of soulful vocals, D’Angelo-ish guitars and muted electronic beats, marking an impressive leap forward from the lo-fi, bedroom productions of early EP releases, 2017’sSwum Baby and 2018’s Blood Loss, from which Puma Blue first drew widespread attention.

The album title was inspired by a book by the Japanese author Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, with both works of art sharing themes of finding sparks of light in the all-enveloping darkness.

Puma Blue, real name Jacob Allen, will celebrate the album’s release by streaming the special one-off concert film “A Late Night Special” on February 11th. Filmed at the Battersea Arts Centre and directed by CHILD Studio (Robyn, The xx), the show features Puma Blue leading an extended eight-piece live band through songs from the new album alongside select favourites from the ‘Swum Baby’ and ‘Blood Loss’ EPs.

“A Late Night Special” will be broadcast at 10pm local time in three different zones (Australia and Asia, Europe, the Americas), and fans will have a window of 48 hours to view or rewatch the show. Tickets are available from DICE, and optional bundles include a vinyl, CD and a limited edition gig poster.

‘In Praise Of Shadows’ is also available to pre-order or pre-save here. Physical formats include a limited edition 180 gram milky clear double-vinyl.