Previously… on ‘Plini’
Sydney’s most restlessly gifted guitarist has just announced his third album, and if you thought Plini had already reached some kind of ceiling with his previous records… well, apparently not. Apparently that was just the warmup.
An Unnameable Desire drops Friday 24 April, and it’s ten tracks of exactly what you’d expect from a man constitutionally incapable of making anything small. Intricate where it needs to be. Heavy when it decides to be. And then, periodically, just enormous and beautiful in a way that makes it very hard to explain to someone who doesn’t already get it.
The title track is out now, with a music video attached. Watch it. Then watch it again, because Plini has indicated that things on album number three may not be entirely what they appear.
The rabbit hole goes further.
“I picked this as the first single because it sets the tone/sound of the album without really giving anything away,” shares Plini. “I’m known as a guitarist, but this song doesn’t even really contain a guitar “solo”. Much like the video, it’s the whimsical first chapter of an adventure, and hopefully gives a false sense of security for what’s to come.”
‘An Unnameable Desire’ Track Review
Debuting with a music video, the title track starts off with a welcoming guitar riff signaling the start of a new day. The accompanying bass lines, while mournful and filled with sorrow, are optimistic. This tone juxtaposes against the prog-rock rich guitar tapestry which feels as much like an early Rush lick as it does Periphery (or even Monuments).
The track, An Unnameable Desire, features layered songwriting with dynamically rich and sombre moments that are pristine in the execution. It’s Plini doing what Plini does best – constructing progressive metal tracks written at expert-level – which sound easily digestible.
Props to actor Em Waterson and director Declan Blackall who captured this feeling of discovery and obsession in equal measure -throughout the music video.
An Unnameable Desire Tracklist
- Dorénavant
- An Unnameable Desire
- Ciel
- Canyon
- Now & Then
- Manala
- Vespertine
- Ruin
- After Everything
- The Time Will Pass Anyway
Personnel Information
Mixed by Simon Grove and mastered by Adam “Nolly” Getgood, An Unnameable Desire finds Plini joining forces with a horde of creative talent, with magic woven alongside Simon Grove (bass, auxiliary guitar, mixing, engineering and co-production), Chris Allison (drums percussion, additional drum engineering and co-production), Dave Mckay (piano, keyboards and synthesizers), A.J. Minette (string arrangement and production), Misha Vayman (violin) and Yoshi Masuda (cello), with additional production on Ciel courtesy of Devesh Dayal, a guitar solo on Ciel by Jakub Zytecki and harp on After Everything by Emily Hopkins.
Album artwork is designed by Patti Bai.
Right in the Feels
Plini went on to say:
“Something I’m very happy about, after many years of making music and the “career” aspect of it becoming a whole lot more serious, is that the process hasn’t changed – still just me sitting in a room, tinkering on a guitar until I come across an interesting idea, and then following it down various rabbit holes until it starts feeling like a song.
“The intention with this album,” adds Plini, “was to let that side of the process be as playful as possible, and then when it came to executing these ideas as finished songs, trying to expand the music in every direction possible: the heavier parts should be heavier, the pretty parts should be prettier, the hard-to-play stuff should be harder to play… and also in being as thoughtful and intricate as possible in relating the songs to each other through various themes and references. I hope it’s as enjoyable to listen to as it was to make!”
The track, An Unnameable Desire is available to listen to/watch on Spotify and Youtube right now. The album, An Unnameable Desire drops April 24th, 2026.
Thanks for reading.
