After introducing himself with the heartfelt debut single “Beau,” which has already attracted more than 10,000 streams, East Sussex artist Mr Fib takes a far bigger creative leap with Shades, an eight-track debut album that refuses to be confined by genre. Blending elements of alternative, indie rock, folk, soul, progressive pop, and spoken word, the record feels less like a collection of songs and more like an honest reflection of one person’s journey toward self-understanding.

Behind the name Mr Fib is Gabriel Green, a 28-year-old multi-instrumentalist from Lewes whose relationship with music began at the age of six through violin lessons. After studying music and spending five years working as a professional classical musician and teacher, Gabriel reached a point where he wanted to express himself in a more personal way. The result is Shades, a project he wrote, composed, arranged, and performed almost entirely on his own, giving every track an unmistakably personal touch.

Gabriel’s influences stretch across generations and genres, from Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Quincy Jones, and Sam Cooke to Kendrick Lamar, Muse, Bon Iver, and Lianne La Havas. Those inspirations are certainly present, but they never overshadow his own identity. Instead, Shades finds its own voice, combining thoughtful songwriting with rich instrumentation, spoken word passages, and moments of striking emotional vulnerability.

At its core, the album explores identity, faith, growth, and the courage to embrace change. Raised in a Catholic household before finding his own path as a queer artist, Gabriel writes with refreshing openness about the tensions between expectation and authenticity. His classical background blends naturally with guitar-driven arrangements and experimental production, creating music that feels both intimate and expansive.

The title Shades carries several layers of meaning. It speaks to the emotional masks people wear, the different ways we perceive ourselves and those around us, and the protective barriers we build throughout life. It also draws inspiration from Greek mythology, where “shades” represent souls waiting between lives. Throughout the album, these ideas weave together into a meditation on transformation, vulnerability, and renewal.

One of the defining moments behind the record came during a visit to a close friend in Sheffield. A night spent dancing in a converted dry cleaners unexpectedly became a turning point, encouraging Gabriel to embrace spoken word and rap as natural extensions of his songwriting. Those influences opened new avenues for exploring mental health, self-acceptance, and emotional honesty with even greater depth.

Mr Fib Shades 1 — Mr Fib Unveils Debult Album Shades 53

Even the name Mr Fib reflects Gabriel’s creative philosophy. Inspired partly by a joke from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and partly by childhood memories of inventing elaborate stories during school show-and-tell sessions, the name celebrates the idea that imagination can often reveal deeper emotional truths than straightforward facts. It’s a fitting identity for an artist whose music constantly blurs the line between storytelling and personal experience.

Rather than offering easy answers, Shades embraces complexity. It invites listeners to sit with uncertainty, reflect on their own experiences, and find beauty in the contradictions that shape who we become. Following the early success of “Beau” and collaborations including “Savour” and an appearance on Rob Quo’s “Now I See the Birds,” Mr Fib arrives with a debut album that introduces an artist unafraid to be vulnerable, ambitious, and entirely himself.