Delicately voiced, thoughtful, perceptive indie pop by the Filipino-born English singer-songwriter aka Beatrice Laus, in a third album also co-produced by Rick Rubin, it grows as it progresses, showing depth and quality of balladeer 90s-influenced songwriting. Now supporting Taylor Swift, she’s soared since being a bedroom lo-fi pop artist. Opener and widely aired single Take A Bite trips along with easy catchiness, and Laus covers the bases between indie guitar rock and serene piano and acoustic numbers. California has a drowsy, shoegazey feel, and then there are some straightforward acoustic guitar numbers, but perhaps the most beautiful is the piano-based Girl Song, with an exquisite melody that feels more timelessly from the 1970s, or Coming Home, in which her child-like voice is accompanied by simple waltz-time chords. Elliott Smith is certainly among her influences. Ever Seen is another folky number, while A Cruel Affair leaps into cute bossa nova. Post announces the return to indie-rock-pop, of which Beaches is the standout. Closer This Is How It Went is a gentle, fragile meta-song with high tinkling piano about songwriting and “listening to Elliott”, with a sharp put-down in the form of “You made it worse by just singing along.” Light and accessible, but much more to discover here. Out on Dirty Hit Records.
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