> Anika, Boh & Hollie. Peace of Mind.Sony
From the ethereal folkish opening of Sea of Dreams, the slinky rock guitar and funk organ stabs of Walk Away, the ska energy of Why Don't We to the languid title track, the trio offer a selection of intricate, assured compositions and - despite their obvious vocal talents - sometimes deliver delicate performances, proving restraint has a place.
Single download: Like I Love You
For those who like: Gemma Ray
4 stars (out of 5)
- Shane Gilchrist
Unknown Mortal Orchestra's head honcho Ruban Nielson once again mixes the skewed punkish pop of former band the Mint Chicks with a taste for psychedelic rambling.
The Oregon-based Kiwi, backed by a simple line-up of drums and bass, is clearly a playful chap, his guitar playing ranging from fuzzed-out linear phrasing to complex finger-picking.
But it's the weird harmonic shifts that steal the show here, Nielsen occasionally drawing on an ethic more aligned with jazz subtlty than pop's more obvious shifts. To all this he sings of loneliness and detachment. Oh, and trips to the bottom of the sea.
Single download: One At A Time
For those who like: The Beatles, Tame Impala
4 stars (out of 5)
- Shane Gilchrist
Best known for her collaborations with drum and bass outfit Concord Dawn, Kiwi singer-songwriter Nina McSweeney has opened for the likes of the Black Crowes, Silverchair and Powderfinger and often gets down in the dirt with electric blues duo Bat Country.
Like her eclectic collaborations, her solo debut reveals a taste for swooning strings, clattering drums and exotic modalities.
Into a mix she describes as ''creep-folk'', she also throws in trip-hoppish, distorted rhythmic textures, an approach that lends the album a dark yet whimsical quality, helped in no small part by a voice that can squeal, whisper and roar.
Single download: Lazarus
For those who like: Portishead, Bat For Lashes
5 stars (out of 5)
- Shane Gilchrist
