My mother always told me that cello is the instrument that most closely resembles the human voice. I don’t know this for certain, but it does seem to make sense when listening to local cellist Alexis Mahler’s debut release, Body of Water (out Friday, October 9), in which her dulcet vocals sit in duet with the deep wooden sounds. Like a river sparkling in the sun, Mahler’s movements feel natural, fluid, and deeply in tune with the world around her. 

If you think you’re not yet familiar with Mahler’s work, you may have actually heard her before. Featured on a plethora of brilliant tracks, she’s played on Sleater-Kinney’s “Say It Like You Mean It” and Matt Costa’s “Katabatic Quartet,” to name a few. Renowned for violin and viola as well, Mahler is a multifaceted instrumentalist who has recorded many a local artist, including Hannah Glavor and Isabeau Waia’u Walker, and often shares the stage with touring acts that roll through the city. Classically trained, Mahler values the art of experimentation, which can be seen in some truly iconic rhythmic plucking in “Color Color Sound Sessions.” All this marks the importance of Mahler’s first full release.

Mahler’s work is gentle, yet poignant with emotional depth. Body of Water is reminiscent of both the ethereal vocals of Julee Cruise and Portland’s own natural landscape, somehow acting as a dreamy conduit to look down from the heavens like a cloud. The album arcs through a process of grief, calling out to Mahler’s own human softness. Intro track “A Nightmare, A Fever” speaks to the sorrow of letting go, only to careen the record forward through vignettes of heartache and sentimental reflection. A nod to her classical background, Mahler’s album includes three short instrumental interludes: “Interlude I: Lave,” “Interlude II: Dissolving,” and “Interlude III: Resomation.” These breaks paint a story, leading into the final track, “Move,” which feels like the most beautiful drowning: “You gotta hold still, still like the water.” 

While Mahler’s not new to the scene, this does seem a particularly important moment for her career, showcasing her illustrious voice and a blend of refined classics with a sound-painted experimental landscape.

Body of Water’s debut will be accompanied by an album release show at Desert Island Studios on October 9, opening with a solo set by Kelli Schaefer.

(Desert Island Studios, 1316 SE 12th, 7-11 pm, SOLD OUT, more info, all ages)