If you’re craving some dreamy, relaxing music to get you through the week, we highly recommend Orlando Weeks’ new album, “Loja.” This album radiates optimism and reflection, capturing the positive mindset Orlando embraced when he left London for a new life in Lisbon, along with a newfound awareness of the things he left behind.

Contentment flows through “Loja” like a comforting hug from an old friend. This is perfectly encapsulated by the joy Orlando and his son shared while strolling through the gardens of The Gulbenkian Museum, where towering trees, flourishing ponds, and cawing peacocks inspired the glowing thoughts in ‘Best Night’.

Yet life isn't always so straightforward. The album also explores more complex emotions, like in ‘Dig’, which features Rhian Teasdale from Wet Leg, capturing an “under your breath half-argument, the kind that only ever happens in public.” And the solemn beauty of ‘Beautiful Place’ transports Orlando to a beachside café south of Caparica, where an ordinary moment was interrupted by sudden and unexpected death, only for the location to quickly return to its usual serenity.

Orlando’s move to Lisbon sparked a parallel creative adventure. Shortly after arriving, he rented a loja (shop or store) near Jardim Estrela, which he used as an art studio. For the first time, he had a studio space separate from his living quarters. All the artwork and visuals for the album were created there, and a photo of the building graces the album cover.

This unique approach to ‘Loja’ symbolises Orlando Weeks’ status as one of the UK’s most distinctive artists. He first emerged with The Maccabees, one of the nation’s most influential bands, who won an Ivor Novello award and achieved a #1 album with ‘Marks To Prove It’. After their peak with three sold-out nights at Alexandra Palace, Orlando crafted ‘Loja’ from a place of reflection and completion, realising its significance in his own story.

“The great change in our lives was that we left London and moved to Lisbon, and the record definitely has elements of being a love letter to the place we now call home. The move stirred things up, providing perspective and hindsight. It allowed us to re-evaluate the things we were too close to before. Now, I just want ‘Loja’ to exist.”

Give “Loja” a listen and believe it will transport you to the streets of Lisbon!