Liv.e
's inventive early releases were often low-key, vibey efforts, featuring sung and spoken vocals set to syrupy rhythms that would fit snugly on lo-fi beat tapes.
Girl in the Half Pearl
is her second full-length, and it's both more introspective and more expansive than her previous work, drawing from a wider range of stylistic influences and containing lyrics that are more upfront about the artist's desires and conflicts. After spending time in London for an artist residency, she began incorporating drum'n'bass into her sound, and she uses flickering breakbeats to push dark thoughts out of her head on some of the album's strongest tracks. Opener "Gardetto." starts as a trippy maze of sinister laughter and kaleidoscopic synths before rattling breaks burst forth, as
confronts "webs of pain" and tries to find her inner strength. "Ghost" is one the album's most cathartic moments, with stop-start Amen breaks laid against a dubby pulse as
screams about being left alone and wishing her partner would return. "Clowns" is even more hair-raising, contrasting a quiet, crawling intro with an explosive, venomous second half. Still, there are far more playful songs like "Lake Psilocybin" and "Underground" (both produced by
Mndsgn
), and especially "A Slumber Partyâ?½," a celebration of an intensely stimulating sexual relationship that still contains doubts and uncertainties. The aquatic electro track "HowTheyLikeMe!" expresses both the excitement and frustration of being desired by multiple people, since they seem to be interested in taking advantage of her. "Wild Animals" is easily the record's catchiest tune, applying self-confident lyrics and sly phrasing to jazzy, piano-driven production by
Solomonophonic
and
John Carroll Kirby
. The less hook-filled, more experimental tracks that make up most of the album are just as compelling.
's growth as an artist has been remarkable, and the vivid self-portrait
is her most impressive work so far. ~ Paul Simpson