Art School Girlfriend - Lean In

‘More’ may not be a word that instantly comes to mind when considering Art School Girlfriend, but across this follow-up to 2023’s ‘Soft Landing’, the artist – aka Polly Mackey – expands the scope of her sonic texture while continuing to evoke the kind of cinematic, quietly maximalist atmosphere she’s built her name on. Which is to say in less roundabout ways, it’s more of the same, as well as more broadly, ‘more’. ‘Almost Transparent’ is more trip hop, with Polly’s whispery vocal eventually fading away before the beat returns – with more. ‘Save Something’ is more soothing, with a subtly catchy piano refrain, and closer ‘Framer’ adds more with noticeable vocal effects beyond her trademark layering, as well as more varied instrumental sounds – strings, an organ – which bleed in before the track almost literally tunes out. ‘Hope More, Hopeless’ is yet more subtle, although it does eventually lead to the closest the record gets to euphoria; so strong is its almost magnetic attraction to glum – at its ‘most’ during the barely-there ‘The Field’ – that even the line “what do I do with love when I get it” on ‘Lines’ doesn’t come with a positive outlook.
If there’s ‘more’, though, there must be ‘most’, and this falls during standout ‘L.Y.A.T.T.’, as its sort-of-titular refrain “I love you all the time” repeats atop a more dancefloor-friendly beat; making it post-xx in both style and likely playlist placement as a consequence of that. 
Given her choice of sounds and dynamic, it’s evident the kinds of statements Art School Girlfriend intends to make are subtle ones – and this is exactly that; one for anyone who was looking for ‘more’ from the musician.