Girl

After Girl Ray finished touring behind their debut album, Earl Grey, the trios leader Poppy Hankin tried crafting more lovely, sometimes haunting indie folk ballads that were like Sandy Denny fronting a classic Sarah Records band. It didnt come together; instead, after ingesting a steady diet of Ariana Grande and other R&B-friendly pop singers, she put down the guitar and got behind a keyboard and a computer screen. She and the rest of the trio got to work making music that paired their bewitching vocal harmonies with slick, slightly homemade-sounding pop for their sophomore album, Girl. Despite the sonic makeover, Hankin hasnt lost her gift for coming up with melancholy melodies that cut deep, there are some fine ballads (especially the album-ending Like the Stars), and quite a few of the songs seamlessly integrate their magical vocal harmonies with good tunes and fun instrumentation. Some, like the smoothly flowing Just Down the Hall or the twitchy electro jam Because, even rise to the level of their inspirations. ~ Tim Sendra