Originally Published May 05, 2026

I am supposed to be wrapping up an article recapping the month of April, but I can’t. Not yet. This album isn’t even officially released yet and I can’t stop thinking about it or playing it. Thanks to Bandcamp Friday, listeners got an advanced opportunity to hear the latest album from German Folk-Pop singer/songwriter, Novelley.

I first was introduced to Novelley’s music in the fall of 2024, after having just started writing reviews for Fifteen Minutes of Fame. This was before there was a website, before I really was doing anything else besides blogging about independent musicians. She submitted her song The Trembling Waltz and I was immediately blown away. It was her song and a song by another independent artist that catapulted me into my recent obsession with folk music (I’ve always loved folk, I just happened to have that love reinvigorated).

50. Single Review of Trembling Waltz by Novelley

What immediately caught my attention was the layers, the appropriate use of reverb, and the context of the music and lyrics. Her description; that it is a “delicate dance between love and loss,” comes from deep and personal experience. Having worked as a physician in the fields of psychiatry and psychotherapy, her passion for that work often inspires her songwriting.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of hearing new releases and writing reviews for a few releases by Novelley. I’ve come to know her through time and I’m deeply humbled to say the beautiful music is merely a reflection of the beautiful person that makes it. Novelley, aka Jessica, is a kind, compassionate human being. She is a mother of three and, in addition to her work, somehow manages to contribute to her passion of making music. In fact, the title of this article isn’t quite accurate because she herself does the things it claims she does not have representing her.

Novelley sees the world the way it’s meant to be seen. She goes for walks and admires nature. She genuinely admires it. Her social media content focuses on the beauty of the natural world around her as she incorporates her music into these inspirations. She doesn’t seek complexities and desires no grandeur. She is a person that, if she had 20 million monthly listeners streaming her music, I’d wager her lifestyle would change very little, if at all.

There’s a certain admiration that grows for artists like Novelley who propel themselves in this way; fueling an entire career around their love for music. Their passion for it. It’s practically impossible not to listen and take notice.

Every note, every lyric heard in her work has meaning. This devotion can make one song have a lasting impact on an audience. So, to have an entire album be fueled by that same devotion, I knew I couldn’t prepare myself for how I would feel having listened to it, prior to listening to it. Even with many of the songs having already been released as singles, to hear this collective vision by such a compassionate artist would be bigger than I would be able to comprehend. It won’t stop me from trying, though.

Fall/Fly

Fall/Fly is currently available on Bandcamp but is set to release today all streaming platforms. It features 10 songs and runs at about 35 minutes (Bandcamp has one bonus song on it this version of the album). It is Novelley’s second album after 2022’s Presences Absences and it follows the release of 3 singles earlier this year; one of which (Shadows) is featured on the album.

Fall/Fly features several singles released by Novelley in the last two years, in addition to one song that has previously not been released (Hold Me). To hear the work in its entirety, completed and together, is every bit as amazing as one would expect. The collective work has a deeper meaning as it plays together.

Every song on Fall/Fly is organically composed, features layers of backing vocals, and is produced with enough reverb to act as a veil comprised of fantasy/enchantment influence to the alternative folk-styled music. Novelley is a proven and accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and she tells her story through the accompaniment of acoustic guitar, piano, ukulele, strings, bass, and gentle percussion. The music is highlighted by a spectrum of backing vocals that are performed in a variety of ways, highlighting expert leading vocal parts. Novelley’s vocal performance is high pitched and performed almost in a whisper throughout. It has a gentleness and serenity to it that eliminates any potential distraction, so that listeners can become immersed in the music.

I really like how this album came out around the same time that Noah Kahn’s wonderful album, The Great Divide, came out. I think the two styles exhibited here are so similar. Both artists are extraordinary examples of today’s whispered folk aesthetic, like Iron & Wine, Maya Hawke, and William Fitzgerald. It is easy listening, emotionally layered, complex, and heartfelt.

I think Novelley’s album stands out for a number of reasons. The body of work is cohesive. It is easy listening, as each song pairs well with the song before it and the song after it. It is thematic and it has an energy that is felt throughout; not in a way that is monotonous, but in a way that the music becomes a gentle vessel for the lyrics to be perceived and contemplated.

If by some chance, there is a reader who is unfamiliar with Novelley and her work, this is a wonderful opportunity to be introduced to an incredible musician. Novelley is a lovely artist with a beautiful soul. She is humble, kind, she is very supportive of her peers, and she is a remarkable talent. I encourage everyone to listen to her music. I strongly encourage everyone to buy her music. It is artists like Novelley that make it so important for us to normalize buying physical music again. Owning an artist’s music is a right of passage; a symbol of true respect and appreciation. She is currently promoting cd giveaways through her social media profiles for Fall Fly. Check it out here and here! Whatever the case, make sure to go press play on Fall/Fly today!