Making an about-face from the cinematic synth textures of her two previous outings, Los Angeles'
Doe Paoro
aims for a classic singer/songwriter approach on
Soft Power
, her soulful third album. The New York native, whose real name is
Sonia Kreitzer
, has been somewhat of a musical shape-shifter over the years, initially adopting elements of dubstep, experimental folk, electronica, and even Tibetan opera into her work. Following 2015's highly synthetic
After
, which saw her collaborating with
Bon Iver
's
Justin Vernon
and
S. Carey
, the more organic piano pop of
comes across as some of the most straightforward work of
Paoro
's career. Her primary collaborator this time is Grammy-winning producer
Jimmy Hogarth
, whose work with retro-minded acts like
Amy Winehouse
Duffy
frequently serves as a guidepost to these sessions, which were largely captured live to tape. With its tonal nods to
Carole King
, classic soul, and even '60s girl group fare,
is still a contemporary pop record at its core, with modern sounds and thematic concepts woven into its dynamic pop.
's smoky voice lends itself well to bluesy dark-hued rockers like "Cage of Habits" and "Guilty," with their bold brass-adorned arrangements, while the breezier "Loose Plans" captures the classic soulful warmth of a relationship ballad. The giant chorus of "Fading into Black" has all the swelling dynamics of a modern pop song, while "The Vine" has a dreamy minimalism with its murky
David Lynch-ian
guitar bed. Behind
is a crack session band adding its collective weight of studio experience to a set that remarkably boasts a different co-writer for each song. With such an extensive team involved, there tends to be a little bit of that committee feeling here and there, but as a whole,
stands as
's strongest album to date. ~ Timothy Monger