The Sympathy Of All Things is a well-known musical project from Lancaster, a city in California’s High Desert region, founded in 2020 by the artist Dominic Parker. The band once enjoyed popularity in narrow circles. Their debut album “Translucence“, whilst not becoming a global hit, gathered a sufficiently devoted fanbase around the lads. Melancholic indie rock, where the author shares his inner experiences through creativity using guitar chords and excellent vocals—just the thing if you fancy having a bit of a melancholy moment to pleasant music.

Alas, over the following five years, no news was heard from Parker. Many associate this with the death of his mother, Debbie. Fortunately, in March 2025, Dominic returned to the musical arena with his new single “Mourning Ghosts”, which became their most successful release. Subsequently, several more individual tracks were released, and then in July of this year, the Californian musician unexpectedly released an album entitled “AMARGI“, consisting of eight tracks—which we shall discuss today.

Quite unsurprisingly, the opening composition “Mourning Ghosts” became my favourite song from this release. I don’t even know where to begin: the philosophical lyrics, powerful vocals, or extraordinary instrumentation? Emotional noise-pop that plunges you, as the listener, into deep reflection. “Mourning Ghosts” feels like a completely unfiltered conversation, where words interweave with the surrounding noise of the arrangement, and Parker’s voice sounds slightly distorted, as if something inside him is trying to break free. I’m not at all surprised that “Ghosts” became the most-listened-to track from the new album. Parker’s best work by a margin.

“Our Sacred Pleasures”, quite unexpectedly, sets a completely different mood. Languid minor guitar riffs give way to a far more energetic and dynamic sound. The guitar solo at the end is performed in the finest traditions of classic rock, complementing the series of differences with the two previous songs. This is an ambient and abstract sound combining pop and art rock. At the same time, ” Our Sacred Pleasures” almost breaks off—as if the guitar strings at some point began snapping one after another.

The third song, “Unmake me”, generally follows the overall mood of the release, and yet stands out significantly against the backdrop of the other works. I think the special effect is created primarily thanks to the phenomenal female backing vocals. Instead of continuing to run away and trying to avoid internal breakdown, Dominic completely surrenders to this destructive sensation.

The fourth track, “Actualizer (A Night In Eleusis)”, appears to be another rather interesting experiment by Parker. True, if in “Pleasures” he tried to combine incompatible musical genres, then this time the main emphasis is placed on extremely unconventional vocal performance. “Actualizer”, it seems to me, is quite a natural continuation of the ideas laid down in “Unmake”. However, now Dominic indifferently drowns in an ocean of his own despair—breaking his voice, he pleads for help, for hope of salvation within him has miraculously not died.

“The Chalice” I would call the most unusual track on the album in the best sense of the word, compared to all the previous ones. The surrealistic sound of drumbeats, running like a red thread through all three verses, induces a kind of trance, as if the thin line between reality and artistic fiction begins to gradually blur. I want to note that this is emphasised not only by the lyrics but also by Dominic’s very manner of performance, posing the rhetorical question that torments him: “What’s real?” Perhaps we’ll never know the answer.

Sixth in order comes the eponymous track “Amargi“. By the way, from ancient Sumerian it translates as “Freedom“, and this title quite clearly emphasises the entire meaning of the album. Despite the rather melancholy atmosphere, listening doesn’t evoke a feeling of hopelessness or despair, but rather pacifying resignation. For long years, Dominic, like many of us, tried to run away from his inner problems, but “Amargi” is an attempt to accept this pain and live with it going forward.

Next comes the song “A Little More Every Day”. I can call it the most joyful and life-affirming song from the entire album. Accepting oneself and finding inner peace is not something that can be done in an instant. And yet, if one continues to try, continues to believe, each day the light will become ever closer. Having passed through pain, hatred, and the bitterness of loss, the lyrical hero, essentially reflecting Dominic himself, is finally ready to release the heavy burden in order to move forward. Generally, this could have been a stunning conclusion to the entire album, but ahead of us awaits at least one more song.

And to conclude, a full six-minute track called “Moonbeam Waltz”. Remember, quite recently I called “The Chalice” an extremely unconventional experiment? Well, “Moonbeam” takes first place by a margin. I’ll put it this way: the first three minutes might seem like quite an ordinary song, creating a light, pleasant mood. True, this is followed by an astonishing bacchanalia of absolutely disharmonious sounds. One can only speculate what meaning Dominic embedded in this chaotic “melody“, if it can even be called such. Perhaps it’s a reflection of his inner disorder? Or perhaps it’s simply an attempt to abstract from the usual canons of music and give free rein to the creator’s wild imagination? In any case, whatever Parker put into this, the result turned out to be certainly memorable and compelling in its own way.

To summarise, I want to note that The Sympathy Of All Things cannot by any means be called light and carefree music to which one can nod one’s head in time and relax. No, all of Dominic Parker’s musical creativity reflects his difficult life path, consisting of inner suffering, losses, uncertainty, and naturally, continuous attempts to comprehend himself. One’s tongue wouldn’t turn to call this banal sad indie rock, of which there’s already plenty. No, “Amargi” is rather about bold experiments; it’s an inimitable style, it’s the strongest experiences and a gaze into inner emptiness.

I don’t think “AMARGI” will hit the top of world charts. Why? Because through his creativity, he doesn’t strive to follow trends, catch popular directions, or appeal to mass audiences. The beauty of “The Sympathy Of All Things” lies in the fact that Parker isn’t afraid to be himself and follow his inner impulse. One track sounds cheerful and lively, the next leaves you in deep confusion, practically with tears in your eyes, and to conclude, the listener gets four minutes of hypnotic ambient. “AMRGI” has no clear structure or unified direction, for this is true freedom of the musician’s flight of thought. I absolutely recommend it to all lovers of indie music.

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