Rosenthal Re-emerges With “Afraid of Stairs”
After ten years away from releasing music, Rosenthal returns with “Afraid of Stairs”, the second single from his forthcoming album, due this May. Rather than signalling a dramatic reinvention, the track feels like a measured continuation — understated, reflective, and confident in its emotional restraint.
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Musically, Rosenthal draws from the lineage of alternative and dream-pop acts that once shaped the UK’s independent landscape. Echoes of The Cure, My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins surface in blurred guitars and atmospheric textures, forming a sound that prioritises mood and space over immediacy.
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Written initially for the artist’s nephew, the song centres on reassurance in the face of vulnerability, carrying a message that life can be unforgiving yet ultimately survivable. That sentiment gives “Afraid of Stairs” a quiet universality, avoiding overt sentimentality while remaining deeply human.
The return also reconnects with a chapter of Rosenthal’s career rooted in Britain. Extensive UK touring in 2014 and 2015 saw him perform across London, Brighton and Newcastle, as well as at Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival — positioning him early on as a Scandinavian artist attuned to the UK alternative circuit.
“Afraid of Stairs” marks a calm but assured re-entry: thoughtful, sonically immersive, and grounded in a tradition that continues to resonate on both sides of the North Sea.
