In 2023, Nicholas Allbrook released his fourth studio album, titled ‘Manganese’, his most personal record to date. Best known as the frontman of ‘Pond’, the Australian singer, songwriter and producer again showcased his mastery in writing addictive, left-field, psych-infused pop that wear its heart on its sleeve.

Such a personal work required cover artwork that could present his wildly creative vulnerability to the world, seeking to capture the album’s emotional depth while providing a striking visual identity to promote the project, that could resonate with Allbrook’s distinctive style and personal story.

An intimate portrait shows Allbrook half-undressed, letting his hair down. Custom typography was crafted to contrast the images, not only in its vibrant use of colour and motion, but in its forms. It employs a harsh, jagged, almost geological sharpness, and creates a scratchy, unusual rhythm, at odds with the organic lines of Allbrook's body. Rendered in gold (and printed in foil), it is a vein of manganese metal sending ripples through the artwork.