Madeline Kenney - Perfect Shapes (2018) [Hi-Res]

An eagerness to explore and experiment is apparent from start to finish, as Kenney and Wasner weave endless sonic curve balls into the arrangements. From the delightfully warped percussion on opening track "Overhead" to the burbling synths on the R&B-tinted "The Flavor of the Fruit Tree" and the left-field trumpet solo in "Your Art," these rich and inventive ideas echo Yo La Tengo's everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mentality, as well as the surging soundscapes of Tame Impala and Wye Oak at their most impressionistic. Lead single "Cut Me Off" is a surprise of its own - the most pop-forward song Kenney has written yet. "Bad Idea," finds her balancing fragility as foil; later, "I Went Home" manages to evoke both frustration and affection in a single breath.