It is clear from the opening title track that there is an unbridled sonic spirit at work on this album, a feeling that advocates breaking free, taking chances, acts of reckless abandon, and just going for it – something that is summed up perfectly by the album cover. But, as always, it is not as simple as that, charging around and acting the sonic wild child is not Courtney Nord’s style, not only are the songs here possessed of a nuance and subtlety, there is a whistfulness, perhaps even a melancholic vibe running underneath those more obvious calls for life-affirming liberty.
Inspiration comes from the photographic work of Jane Hilton, whose pictures are fleeting snapshots of American culture, small photographic vignettes that are both high conceptual art and portrayals of real life, images which say more about the modern world than any history tome, yet asking more questions than providing answers.
And so it is with the music found on this shimmeringly beautiful debut album: songs that are both personal and relatable, immersive blends of dreamscape rock and lyrical diary entries, thoughts laid bare.
“Light in the Dark” finds us in the same sonic territory as Natasha Khan’s Bat For Lashes called home, heady blends of seductive, avant-pop and ambient beauty. “Little Miss Perfect” is built on graceful cascades of guitars, slowly giving way to alternative dance beats and beguiling grooves. “Stuck (in the 90s)” is a strange blend of the singer-songwriter and the hushed and heady textures of the ’50s jazz diva.
This album is unsecond-guessable; it is at turns introspective and anthemic, nostalgic and forward-thinking, informed and wildly adventurous. It feels like a series of private thoughts put to the most intriguing alt-pop meets indie-rock collision you have heard since the ’90s college rock heyday.
Brave doesn’t even begin to cover it; feel free to pitch in any or all of the following list too: honest, authentic, vulnerable, adventurous, experimental, accessible…awesome. Definitely the latter.
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