Album Review Hatchie - Keepsake

As Hatchie, Brisbane native Harriette Pilbeam provides the soundtrack to falling in love. She floods your ears with dreamy melodies, sugary tones and lush vocals, nestled in a perfect middle between Cocteau Twins and Alvvays - though commanding an artistry entirely her own. Having already released a slew of strong singles, the debut LP from the Australian musician veers away from the sometimes-sickly sweet sound of her older work. She ventures out into pulsating basslines and deeper, darker ‘80s synthpop while still being able to turn virtually every sigh of a melody she breathes into an earworm. “If I could kiss you one more time, would it make everything alright?” she wonders on ‘Without a Blush’, before pleading “Give it a try,” on ‘Unwanted Guest’. She writes and wears her heart on her sleeve, half-singing, half-sighing through her songs with wide-eyed candour, shining through such swoon-worthy dream- pop. At some point, you’ll wonder if it was Hatchie’s heartache and pain that was written about, or your own.