Hatchie - Keepsake [Limited Milky Clear Color Vinyl Record]

On her debut EP Sugar & Spice, Hatchie delivered the sonic equivalent of falling deliriously in love: a sustained rush of feeling, rendered in swoony melodies and gauzy guitar tones and endlessly hypnotic layers of sound. Now, with her full-length debut Keepsake, the Australian singer/songwriter tries on many new textures, exploring everything from industrial to new wave to dance-pop, handling each with understated elegance and pure, powerful feeling. In the making of Keepsake, the Brisbane-bred musician otherwise known as Harriette Pilbeam recorded in a home studio in Melbourne and worked again with John Castle. 

And while the album begins and ends with two massively catchy pop tracks-the brightly defiant "Not That Kind," the euphoric and epic "Keep" - many songs drift into more emotionally tangled terrain, shedding light on experiences both ephemeral and life-changing. Throughout, Hatchie's kaleidoscopic sonic palette draws out distinct moods and tones, continually revealing her depth and imagination as a guitarist and songwriter. On lead single "Without a Blush," jagged guitar riffs and woozy rhythms meet in a sprawling piece of industrial-pop, with Hatchie's gorgeously airy voice channeling loss and longing, regret and self-doubt. Another industrial-leaning track, "Unwanted Guest" unfolds in wobbly synth lines and fantastically icy spoken-word vocals. Meanwhile, on "Her Own Heart," Hatchiepresents a radiant jangle-pop gem that puts a unique twist on the post-breakup narrative. 

Elsewhere, Hatchie brings an unlikely transcendence to the most tender of moments. With its softly pulsing beats and slow-building intensity, "Secret" spins a heartrending anthem from what she describes as "confiding to a friend about your mental health struggles, the things you can't work out on your own." On "Kiss the Stars," Hatchie's cascading guitar work and mesmeric vocals meet with lyrics capturing a precise form of melancholy. And on "Stay With Me," Hatchie offers up Keepsake's most utterly rhapsodic track, all incandescent synth, and unstoppable rhythm.

1. Not That Kind
2. Without A Blush
3. Her Own Heart
4. Obsessed
5. Unwanted Guest
6. Secret
7. Kiss The Stars
8. Stay With Me
9. When I Get Out
10. Keep