Hatchie - Liquorice 

Opting to step away from the dancefloor that pulsed its way through her previous record, 2022’s ‘Giving The World Away’, is one thing, but across Hatchie’s third album ‘Liquorice’, there’s not enough of a similarly singular focus to grab hold of among the sounds it warps and wefts – and unfortunately too often, wafts – through. The spacey alt-pop that forms most of the record’s first third may pair sonically with the Aussie songwriter’s breathy delivery, but the feather-light breeze of ‘Only One Laughing’ and ‘Anemoia’ veers far too much into barely-there territory, and even the (relative) hook of ‘Carousel’ is all but lost among its dreamy ‘80s soundscape. 

There’s a similar restraint which bookends the record, too, as the potentially heady fuzz of ‘Anchor’ might aim for the intricate layers of noise rock, but does nothing to prevent its repetitive ‘eh eh’’s from suggesting filler; the potential grunge of closer ‘Stuck’, meanwhile, is frustratingly opaque, as if it’s all been turned down to 5. Bad, no, but frustrating nonetheless – especially as sandwiched between these moments are some others which demonstrate a knack for immediacy, alongside a pleasantly flippant vocal turn that’s gorgeous ‘90s pop-rock all over. The melancholy jangle of ‘Wonder’, with Hatchie’s almost-snarl, is a clear winner, as is ‘Lose It Again’, which takes the understated elements of elsewhere but this time, crucially, combines them with a standout hook for a track that’s still soft, but would fit right in as a film soundtrack road trip singalong. It’s a mixed bag… Liquorice Allsorts, maybe?