The follow-up to the self-described "gothic folk" singer/songwriter's 2015 eponymous debut,
Party
is downcast New Zealander
Aldous Harding
's first outing for
4AD
. It's a fitting partnership, as her minimalist, chamber pop arrangements, dark confessional lyrics, and wee-hours-of-the-morning vibe invoke some of the famed British independent label's most notable exports (
Kristin Hersh
,
Kendra Smith
Lisa Germano
Emma Pollock
, etc.). Built on a foundation that's pure
Nico
-esque chanteuse baritone,
Harding
's voice manages to come off as both distinct and mercurial, reserved and whispery, a la
Vashti Bunyan
one minute and full-throated
PJ Harvey
the next. The simplicity of the arrangements casts its own spell, with
switching pretty evenly between fingerpicked guitar and melancholy-wet piano throughout the just-under-40-minute set. Tracks like the
Perfume Genius
-assisted lead single "Imagining My Man," the cyclical "What If Birds Aren't Singing They're Screaming," and the spartan title cut all benefit from the amount of space that swirls about them -- the melodies themselves, often circular and self-referential, only add more nuance to the overall intimacy.
's writing style begs for sonic melodrama in the same way that
Lana Del Ray
Tales of Us
-era
Goldfrapp
, or even
Agnes Obel
's do, but by stripping her balladry of any ostentatious finery, her myriad discomforts and occasional small joys are conveyed in a way that feels bereft of any sort of hyperbole.
finds the sweet spot between raw and refined, and in doing so, feels very real. ~ James Christopher Monger