The New York singer-songwriter’s second album is short, but serenely superb – with a soft sheen sound produced by Josh Kaufman, it’s perfectly composed with intelligent lyrics, and profound insights beautifully voiced. “All I want is to fall apart/ In the arms of someone/ Entirely strange to me / In your eyes I see the panoply/ Of the people inside me” on Crosshairs is just one of many lyrical moments of poise and perfection. Physical nature whether its the great outdoors, or biology, is a connecting theme. On opener Michelangelo, with acoustic and electric guitars, then string additions she compares herself to a three-legged dog plodding slowly to life, and “My DNA looks pretty strange/ Can you see it on my breath? Hard drive brings together the metaphors of how the brain works as a computer functions, but also gets in the literal car. Jenkins does this constantly, playing with ideas on the hoof with an understated mischief. New Bikini is slow, serene, a tribute to water, whether in Norway or Long Island, where a dip in the ocean “cures everything” the sound of a gentle piano and sax jazz. Ambiguous Norway also drifts gently the breeze with low key sax and wah-wah guitar. Closing track The Ramble meanwhile just strolls out with a beautiful instrumental. Out on Ba Da Bing! Records.
Feel free to also check out our favourite albums of 2020 here:
Fiona Apple to Lianne La Havas to Yves Tumor: favourite albums of 2020 – Part 1
Agnes Obel to Bob Dylan, Phoebe Bridgers to Sault: favourite albums of 2020 – Part 2
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