“a triumph, personally and creatively” – Uncut: 9/10 “Beautiful and gripping” – Record Collector: 4* – lead review “[a] deeply meditative record, intermittent electric-blue flashes of revelation glinting through the darkness” – MOJO: 4* “‘Blue Morpho’ captures an artist working to recalibrate his instincts into something looser, stranger and quietly resolute” – Electronic Sound “This is the sound of healing, with Ed O’Brien out of his cocoon and in dazzling flight” – NME: 4* “Its strikingly personal tone and daring creative risks make it feel like a debut” – Rolling Stone “O’Brien boasts a wholly-uninhibited approach to how rock and pop music is arranged, resulting in works that move and grow like the building blocks of life itself” – Clash
Today, 22 May 2026, Ed O’Brien releases Blue Morpho, his second solo album and the first under his own name, out now via Transgressive. O’Brien often returns to a quote by Kentucky poet and farmer Wendell Berry: “To know the dark, go dark.” That philosophy became both compass and catalyst for Blue Morpho – a deeply personal record produced by Paul Epworth and Riley MacIntyre (Ezra Collective), born from one of the most challenging periods of his life. While O’Brien remains one of rock music’s most celebrated guitarists, Blue Morpho finds him stepping into new creative territory, embracing hypnotic psych-folk, radiant guitars, beguiling trip-hop and moments of luminous stillness. Written during years of personal reflection and experimentation, the album emerged from long improvisational sessions, where he immersed himself in sound as a way to process emotional upheaval and renewal. The result is a record that navigates transformation, healing and spiritual connection, shaped by both introspection and collaboration. A series of serendipitous encounters helped bring Blue Morpho to life. Paul Epworth became a central creative partner, while saxophonist and composer Shabaka Hutchings contributed flutes following conversations around resonance and frequency at Glastonbury. Dave Okumu weaves radiant, intricate guitar work throughout the record, ESKA lends additional vocals, and acclaimed Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits arranged the album’s string parts, performed by the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, deepening the record’s rich and expansive emotional landscape. The record was completed between O’Brien’s studio in Wales and The Church Studios in London, with sequencing assistance from Flood and mixing by Ben Baptie. Album opener “Incantations” unfurls as eight minutes of hypnotic psych-folk, O’Brien’s gentle voice rustling like leaves in the Welsh countryside over guitars and buoyant drums. The single followed the release of the uplifting title track, “Blue Morpho”, where Ed steps into the dark, and emerges renewed, inspired by the healing effects of nature. The album’s accompanying short film, Blue Morpho: The Three Act Play, premiered at SXSW in Austin, Texas before screenings in London, Oxford, Paris, Sydney, Mexico City, Tokyo and Denver and will follow the release of Blue Morpho. Directed in Wales by Kit Monteith, the film offers an honest and intimate portrait of O’Brien. Further details will be announced soon – watch the trailer here. Blue Morpho is available now on LP, CD, cassette, indies exclusive Metamorphosis Edition LP (orange vinyl) and artist store-exclusive Chrysalis Edition LP (cream vinyl). A limited edition blue 7” is also available as part of the LP album bundle while stocks last, featuring the bonus track “Abbeycwmhir”. | 
