LISA BOZIKOVIC CD release, September 7 at the Music Gallery. See listing. Rating: NNNN
On her sophomore album, This Is How We Swim, local singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Bozikovic lingers on recurring themes – dreams, water, weather and intimacy – over quiet and moody piano-, Wurlitzer-, moog- and synth-driven pop.
Written on the Toronto Islands and co-produced by Sandro Perri, it’s a subtle, sensual and demanding listen, full of slow, sad and dark moments but not without surprising twists and turns – Felicity Williams’s airy backup vocals on Waterfall and Bozikovic’s lyrical elevation of quotidian chores on Midnight Ice, for example.
Luckily, strings and woodwinds aren’t overdone Bozikovic’s songs are emotional enough as is. Oddly, she’s funkiest when tackling grief (No Monument), and the record seems to drift apart in less structured songs toward the end.
That said, Bozikovic’s voice is womanly, powerful and very comforting. Perfect listening material for when the weather cools and you need some comfort.
Top track: Midnight Ice
