A hugely entertaining, witty, droll, inventive, chamber and synth-pop fourth LP with a goth twist by the charismatic and theatrical Canadian artist Alexandra Hughes, who brings paradox and dark themes through sounds that include string quartet, harpsichord, classical and pure pop piano with killer lyrics. It’s an expansion of the more retro synth but also catchy sounds of last year’s Girl With No Face. Her voice is strong and dynamic - moving between intimate as well a full-on delivery, sometimes with echoes of Tori Amos, at other times Lady Gaga. Her humour is as dark as her garb, but in sound, this album is also packed with great pop melodies, or as she summarises it: “Dark pop, bright pain.” The double-edge and absurdity of existence is an ongoing theme, not least with the stylish opening track, Is Anybody Out There?, which parodies the insecurities and contradictions of New Age religion (“Better get ready for the rapture …Is anybody out there? Is anybody listening Cause I'm not hearing anything…”). 7th Floor meanwhile is pacy drumbeat and whistling number about being stuck a lift that takes 24 minutes to arrive because of constant farcical interruptions and as elevator users competitively press buttons for different levels. Down Season is an almost celebratory beautiful piano-led electro-pop about the dark moods (“Vultures coming again / Heard a knock at the door/ A dead bouquet of flowers / Scattered over the floor”). The title track is gorgeous, sumptuous purely piano, slow pop ballad with further killer lines: “Like a satellite in freewill / Like a seizure on the floor Happiness is gonna get you.” I Hope You Hear This Song is a clever meta-themed revenge number, while Uncle Lenny is a slightly crazed quasi-operatic, dark, gently caustic, bitingly bitchy address to a dodgy relative ending in vocal played backwards with the words: “They’ll throw you out to the dogs.” It Gets Better (It’s Worse Than Ever) summarises the paradoxical double-edge of things in a catchy, short ditty. But it’s not all spite and darkness. Reunite, with harpsichord intro, morphs into a more positive and lovely pop song about burying the hatchet, while Stay Green a catchy, light call out to holding onto childhood innocence. But in case we were under any illusions, closer It’s Just Light is fabulously dark, swirling, orchestral piece in which Allie X takes on the persona of some rapture vampiric figure trying to come to terms with their ultimate illuminated demise: “We all turn into stars as we fade away / Leaving behind our love as the people pray / Then 100 years go by in a blinding white.” Fabulous stylish, striking, shady fun with wonderful hair and videos to match. Self-released.
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