Little Moon captured a global audience’s attention both sonically and visually with their video submission of “wonder eye” to NPR’s 2023 Tiny Desk Contest. After being crowned the 2023 winners, the group performed on Tiny Desk Concert, signed with Joyful Noise Recordings, and went to work on their new album, Dear Divine.

As a fellow Utah artist, I may be biased, but I was overjoyed to hear the group had won. When “now” came out, I was excited to check it out to show my support, but my goodness, I didn’t expect it to be one of my favorite songs of the year. The pre-chorus proudly exclaims, “Maybe you know it all. Maybe you know I’ll fall and get it wrong a lot, to love as Jesus taught.” The lyric struck me to my core.

Dear Divine is filled with images of childlike wonder, seeing the world through the lens of love, and sweet innocence. Combining images of tarot cards with Christian themes, the album isn’t religious or occult, but rather is about seeing the beauty in everything. Every time I hear “now” I get goosebumps.  

Full disclosure: Even though the group is also from Utah, I don’t know them personally… but one time Emma did sub in for my vocal coach. On Dear Divine, her superhuman soprano notes soar majestically over the eclectic instrumentation like something out of mythology. Now picture her descending from a cloud to try and give a vocal lesson to Tim Robinson. That’s pretty much how it was. While I hope she doesn’t remember it, it’s a lesson I won’t forget.

In a recent interview, Emma mentioned how as a child she would run home from church with her sisters to dance to Bolivian folk music. It’s a funny and cute story that actually prefaces Little Moon’s music quite perfectly. Harp, electric pianos, violins, clarinets, banjo, jangly guitars, and a drum kit are all featured throughout the record, each sounding perfect in its place. In a way, it sounds like traditional folk music meets modern production in the crossover you didn’t know you need.

There really isn’t anything to directly compare it to. It’s such a unique flavor of music without being difficult to digest.

A few songs like “blue,” “give you flowers,” and “eighteen parts” reach even further into the stars with some electronic percussion and arpeggiated synth lines. “blue” especially gave me the same feels as the soundtrack to the Netflix series Bee & Puppycat. The sensation of lighthearted drifting through space is always a welcomed tone for me. Plus the music is gentle, kind, and inviting — unlike what I imagine space to actually be like.