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by ~dhh for dohiphop.com<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s a quiet kind of bravery in being soft. That\u2019s the feeling I was left with after a few deep listens to Liminal Spaces<\/em>, the latest release from Portland-based poet and rapper Myles Bullen<\/strong>. This album doesn\u2019t posture. It doesn\u2019t beg for mainstream attention. It simply exists \u2014 beautifully, vulnerably, and unapologetically. And that\u2019s exactly what makes it so captivating.<\/p>\n Myles has always walked a crooked, heartfelt path through music. Blurring the lines between folk punk and acoustic rap, their sound is steeped in spoken word, emotional release, and radical self-expression. Liminal Spaces<\/em> feels like a natural evolution \u2014 one that floats between grief and growth, anchored by community and raw lyricism. It\u2019s not perfect. It\u2019s human<\/em>. And honestly, that\u2019s the point.<\/p>\n The album opens with \u201cRehab in the Sky<\/strong>\u201d featuring Local News Legend<\/em>, setting the tone with a cloud-light arrangement and lines that immediately disarm. It\u2019s like a conversation overheard in a dream. From there, the title track \u201cLiminal Spaces<\/strong>\u201d lands softly but purposefully, placing you right in the emotional centre of the record. The lyrics are inward-facing, but inclusive \u2014 like a letter you weren\u2019t supposed to read, but the writer secretly hoped you would.<\/p>\n Tracks like \u201cRazorblades of Grass<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cWhen Death Came Knocking<\/strong>\u201d are deeply affecting \u2014 peeling back layers of trauma and acceptance with lines that catch you off guard. \u201cGrow Older<\/strong>\u201d (featuring Folk Punk Dad<\/em> & BlueRaspberry<\/em>) is especially moving, a meditation on time and tenderness that doesn\u2019t try to solve anything \u2014 it just sits with you. These aren\u2019t songs written to impress \u2014 they\u2019re here to connect, to document, to honour the liminal spaces we all pass through.<\/p>\n \u201cSky Thief<\/strong>,\u201d featuring Moth Rogers<\/em>, might be the album\u2019s most accessible track \u2014 and it\u2019s an absolute gem. There\u2019s something about the tempo, the flow, the floating, childlike wonder of it all that makes it stick. It\u2019s easily my favourite, and it\u2019s the one I keep coming back to when I need to feel a little more okay about not feeling okay.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also \u201cBrunch<\/strong>\u201d with Emma Ivy<\/em>, which brings a sense of sweetness and lightness to the project, without ever tipping into shallow ground. Even the shortest track, \u201cI Have a Good Outfit<\/strong>,\u201d manages to be poetic in its brevity \u2014 more of a whispered thought than a verse, but still purposeful.<\/p>\n Liminal Spaces<\/em> was mostly recorded and mixed by John Zebley<\/strong>, with gorgeous instrumental work from Peter Herman<\/strong> and contributions from an extended DIY family that includes Cecelia Bellomy<\/strong>, Moth Rogers<\/strong>, and Local News Legend<\/strong>. The sonic palette is lo-fi and intimate \u2014 perfectly paired with the diaristic style of Myles\u2019s lyrics. And let\u2019s not overlook the stunning cover art by Lewis Rossignol<\/strong>, which captures the fragile, surreal spirit of the project in visual form.<\/p>\n