Laura Jean

About

Folk singer-songwriter Laura Jean Englert sidestepped her usual cast of Melbourne supporting players to make her eponymous fourth album in close collaboration with English producer John Parish, best known for his extensive work with PJ Harvey. Both Englert and Parish juggle a wealth of instrumentation in tastefully sparing portions here, while Norway’s Jenny Hval provides backing vocals. As for the material, Englert focuses largely on autobiography, singing about her beloved pet kelpie (pictured with her on the album cover) on opener “June” and several other songs. On “How Will I Know When I’m Home?” she reflects on her satisfaction with making music as merely a hobby and enjoying a cozy home life. “First Love Song” is especially diaristic, recounting key details of a courtship. Standing in stark contrast to that is “Don’t Marry the One You Love,” a jaunty-sounding cautionary tale that warns against signing yourself over to your romantic ideal. Thanks in part to Parish’s accordion licks, it unexpectedly evokes the breezy tunefulness of Sheryl Crow’s 1993 hit “All I Wanna Do.” Englert would further pursue that flirtation with wider accessibility on 2018’s <i>Devotion</i>, channeling her youth through character-driven synth-pop that repurposed the percolating disco and R&B of her childhood listening.

via Apple Music

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