Gia Ford - Transparent Things

“I’m a ghost in daylight on a crowded street,” broods Gia Ford on opener ‘Poolside’; the perfect summation of her debut album. ‘Transparent Things’ sees the singer embodying a series of outsiders across varied sonic landscapes. She dabbles in macabre imagery: ‘Falling in Love Again’ paints the picture of a widowed man, asking his new partner to dress in his dead wife’s clothes. Meanwhile ‘Paint Me Like a Woman’ owes its subject matter to Charlize Theron’s portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster. ‘Loveshot’ channels the funk of Talking Heads, while ‘Alligator’ is underscored by tumbling keys and woozy guitars as she alternates between metaphors of monstrosity and innocence: “I’m a newborn baby / Need the world to save me.” Deeply cinematic with a sense of foreboding, Gia’s vision is specific: polished production, seemingly effortless vocals, and introspective lyricism. On ‘Transparent Things’, she finds the balance between spectacle and subtlety.