posted April 9, 2015 #
When
Jessie Baylin released her 2012 album
Little Spark I was immediately smitten with it. It's just the right combination of upbeat pop and serious melancholy. After listening to it on regular rotation for a few years I wondered what a follow-up would be like... presumably not quite as forelorn. Fortunately, with the release of
Dark Place, her latest full-length album, all my fears and doubts are laid to rest.
The album was produced, arranged, mixed and musically performed by
Richard Swift, another artist I have an undying crush on and is also at his strongest mixing pop and melancholy. Songs like
Creepers (Young Love) are clearly the more accessible introductory style singles but the album is brimming with quiet pieces that still demand your attention through Baylin's expressive voice.
The styles run the gamut from doo-wop inspiration to crunchy garage rock to ambient reverb-y spaces. All that is to say, it's a great record. Go see her play
3rd and Lindsley for her album release celebration - she and Swift deserve some accolades for it.
