Here in the Pitch＜Dark Green Vinyl＞

Up to this point, Jessica Pratts gorgeous songs were almost translucent, their thin layers of nylon-string guitar, occasional piano, and her whispered vocals all stacked on each other like faded, see-through filmstrips. Her third album, 2019s Quiet Signs, was her most subdued effort yet, its songs powerful and engrossing but also seeming like they might float away completely if they werent focused on tightly enough. Pratt deepens both her captivating songwriting style and otherworldly presence while expanding her sound in multiple dimensions on her fourth record, Here in the Pitch. Where distant guitars have been the main accompaniment for much of her work before this, opening track "Life Is" announces a change by starting with the crack of reverb-laden drums and gradually bringing in bass guitar, string-like keys, and other ephemeral sounds. The arrangement is panoramic when compared to Pratts usual sparseness, with clear nods to 60s orchestral pop productions from the Beach Boys, Love, the Walker Brothers, and the like. Indeed, overt references to Pet Sounds come up repeatedly, in the bassy woodwind asides of "Better Hate," the seashell percussion and beachy organ of "Nowhere It Was," the accordion bellows of "By Hook or by Crook," and several other instances. Pratt also brings in a mercurial kind of bossa nova flare akin to Astrud Gilbertos saddest songs, the lonely longing of the Zombies, and the straightforward pop structure of 60s hitmakers like Sandie Shaw or Petula Clark. Even though these influences are displayed freely, thats not to say Here in the Pitch is mere re-creation of a certain sect of sunshine pop. Pratts voice, songwriting turns, and distinctive melancholy all remain singularly her own, and the fuller, more excitable arrangements only shine light on her talent from new angles. While her material before this was insular, these songs find Pratt opening up her private sound world just enough to let a glimpse of its depth come through. Her songs are still wounded and far away, but the expanded instrumentation gives them a prismatic glow and makes for one of the most fascinating and repeatable sets from an artist who was already in a class by herself. ~ Fred Thomas

サンフランシスコ出身、現在はLAを中心に活動するシンガー・ソングライター。6年ぶり通算4枚目となるオリジナル作は、彼女自身が〈ヒッピー文化のダークサイドに影響を受けた〉と語るように、60年代のUS西海岸のバンドを彷彿させるサイケデリックでドリーミーな雰囲気。決してギラギラした感じではなく、夏の終わりを連想させる物憂げな雰囲気がクセになる作品だ。
bounce (C)赤瀧洋二