When it comes to making music that seems breezy but sinks deep into listeners' ears and minds, few acts are as skillful as
Widowspeak
.
Molly Hamilton
and
Robert Earl Thomas
' fifth album,
Plum
, reflects just how much their music has ripened over the years. Much like they did before making 2015's
All Yours
, prior to recording this album
Hamilton
Thomas
worked steady jobs and tended to other projects, including
' debut album,
Another Age
. Once again, spending time away from
paid off:
is a beautifully crafted set of songs that are as dreamy as they are grounded in reality. The album's title track is pure
, with a golden hour glow that showcases
' eloquent yet understated guitars, the delicacy of
's songwriting and vocals, and the inspired ways they play off each other. Their chemistry is just as potent, if not more so, when they reflect on late-stage capitalism. On several of the album's standouts, they bury hard truths in soft, sweet melodies like the pit in a plum. Set to luminous synths, "Breadwinner"'s lament ("Is this how you measure time?/Vacations you can't take/Is this how you count the hours?/The ones when you're awake") feels immediately relatable to anyone contemplating their work-life balance. On "Money," the contrast between
's voice as she sighs "what a time to be alive" and the song's driving beat is equally surprising and welcome. While
's music has bordered on being too hazy for its own good, the duo bring it into sharp focus by putting
's rhythms front and center; the darkly grooving "Amy" and "The Good Ones" add forward momentum without sacrificing any mystique.
sound just as engaging on the album's closing meditations on acceptance, whether it's embracing uncertainty (in two languages, no less) on "Jeannie" or the sudden realization of "Y2K." Taking things as they come is a soft strength that feels very
. They seem to become more themselves with each album, and
finds them at their most immediate and compelling. ~ Heather Phares