Of Bridgette Winten’s stunning black-and-white photograph – which graces this album’s cover and features Hannah McKittrick melting into a sea stack, her long blonde hair cascading down a rock face – McKittrick commended, “The scale of it really makes me believe in things.”
This South Gippsland-born, Melbourne-based ambient folk artist’s plaintive vocals are alluring like a siren’s song. She obviously feels incredibly deeply and is not afraid to be, and sound, vulnerable through her work. “I have had my circuits broken/ It’s not enough to keep me from wanting…” – delicate piano accompaniment gradually intensifies throughout opener Shells before a flurry of cymbals ushers in reverberating beats.
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The piano-led Big Plan (“It hurts to love you through this… How not to hate you through this…”) explores a family reconciliation broached too soon. During Threshold, McKittrick’s voice quivers with emotion as she challenges the upper reaches of her vocal range. “It’s not getting better/ I’m not better yet…” – Perfect Struggler (such a gut-wrenching concept!) closes out with a single, forlorn saxophone note; like a distant whale cry.
A richly rewarding, meditative listening experience, these seven songs of loss and love remind us that music conveys so much more than mere words. When life gets sticky, choosing music that matches our mood helps us make sense of it all and can even offer some much-needed comfort.
Label: Independent
Release date: 29 November
