Gossling
's full-length debut album, 2013's
Harvest of Gold
, is a melodic, sonically layered recording that succeeds largely upon the evocative, poetic writing and cherubic vocals of singer/songwriter
Helen Elizabeth Croome
. Formed in 2009,
is primarily
Croome
's project with the Melbourne, Australia-based artist handling not just the songwriting, but also piano, organ, keyboards, and acoustic guitar. That said, she receives plenty of musical support from her longtime backing ensemble and many of the songs on
feature an organic, if admittedly minimalist, mix of electric guitar, percussion, strings, and horns. Having studied music at university,
is adept at writing and arranging her languid, often bittersweet songs, which flow between moody dance rock ("Never Expire"), Baroque torch songs ("Vanish"), and catchy,
Giorgio Moroder
-influenced synth pop ("Challenge"). Elsewhere,
's collaboration with
Sparkadia
's
Alexander Burnett
on the darkly romantic "Summer Song" sounds like something along the lines of
Joanna Newsom
dueting with
Leonard Cohen
; clearly, two of
's musical touchstones. And it's not just
's distinctive chamber pop inclinations that one can draw parallels with
Newsom
and
Cohen
. On the contrary,
also shares a talent for her predecessor's literary, noir-ish prose. On "Lover's Spat," she sings, "Oh I think I hear, in broken words, a lover's spat/Voices to and fro, a women's cry, a baritone." Similarly,
has a tangible knack for capturing the aura and emotional climate of a moment. On "That Feeling," she coos, "You got it all laid out/The music's thumping low/Your playlist played just right/Soft but not too slow/The lighting's not too bright/The cushions placed just so.." and "The elements together form a statement as to whether there's a vibe that's gonna carry the night." Ultimately, it's just this kind of intimate, infectious vibe that
creates so adeptly on
that carries you from beginning to the end. ~ Matt Collar