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Album reviews Music

Jessica Pratt

Singer/songwriter Jessica Pratt’s second album was born of a move from San Francisco to Los Angeles following the loss of her mother and a long-time relationship, and its starkness and minor tonality give it a hushed, contemplative feel. Pratt, who made her debut in 2012 after Tim Presley (White Fence) founded Birth Records to release her work, has distilled her acoustic-guitar-and-voice approach down to its very essence, recording solo to four-track. 

That lo-fi method showcases her delicate fingerpicking and soft vocals, but also makes for a somewhat monotonous listen over nine similar tracks. Whether you take to Pratt’s reedy, quavering vocals (think Vashti Bunyan or Joanna Newsom) is purely subjective, but the way she changes up her register to suit a song’s vibe helps bring colour to a fairly flat palette (which only includes the odd dab of organ and clavinet). Multi-tracked vocals add richness to the Van Dyke Parks sway of I’ve Got A Feeling, while the quiet lilt of the title track captures Pratt’s pastoral retro-folk style with a whisper of Nick Drake tenderness.

Top track: On Your Own Love Again

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