Aldous Harding - Train on the island (LP)

Appearances can be deceiving. Aldous Harding may never have sung as clearly as on Train on the Island – and in the opening seconds of track two, 'One Stop', the New Zealander even seems to embark on a Mitski- or Japanese Breakfast-esque pop song. But if Train on the Island makes one thing clear, it's that Harding can never be predicted or fully understood. She is all too happy to interrupt those pop moments; by then, an eccentric new idea has already emerged. The sparsely arranged piano songs don't even need to impose themselves to disarm you. If you surrender to this quiet ingenuity, it's a wonderfully enchanting ride.