With her third album,
Someday, Now
,
Katy J Pearson
establishes a pattern of collaboration and experimentation without meddling with the warm, tuneful, 1970s-evoking songcraft that has defined every release. Possessing a relatively high-pitched,
Parton
-esque vocal delivery that lends itself to twang, she offered a satisfying blend of folk-rock, country, and indie pop on her debut LP (
Return
), then worked with
Speedy Wunderground
's
Dan Carey
for a grittier, more urgent sound -- at least on select tracks -- on the follow-up (
Sound of the Morning
).
finds
Pearson
working with avant-pop/electronic producer
Nathan Jenkins
, better known as
Bullion
, for excursions into a more aerodynamic sound with sleeker surfaces -- again, only in some cases; in other words, it's not an electro-pop album. Her backing band here comprises a similarly open-minded set of collaborators, including
H. Hawkline
Huw Evans
Boy Azooga
Davey Newington
, and
Joel Burton
(
Broadside Hacks
), all
Heavenly
labelmates and/or prior collaborators of
's.
gets things going with a breezy, soft rock-styled number, "Those Goodbyes," although the lyrics are tinged with dread, and the track begins with a few seconds of glitchy, sound collage-like material highlighted by the distorted felicitation "May the wind be always at your back." That section's manipulated blurts resurface on occasion during the song, as if giving voice to
's anxieties ("And I know you're gonna do it/Make me feel stupid"). While an easygoing soft rock prevails on
, keyboards and electric bass take a more prominent role on songs like "Save Me" and "Constant," and she even ventures toward post-punk on the spikier "Grand Final." However, all descriptions are relative on an album that always centers a hummable vocal melody and never leaves head-bobbing territory, even when lyrics are provoked. It establishes
as an artist who's eager to experiment but in command of her musical identity. ~ Marcy Donelson