Hatchie - Giving The World Away (2022)

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Hatchie - Giving The World Away (2022)

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Australian singer Harriette Pilbeam, aka frontwoman/alter ego of Hatchie, makes music that is often labeled dreamcore, but there's nothing sleepy about her second album. In fact, there's a decided kinetic energy—like Kylie Minogue shimmer meets mid-career Duran Duran—to the title track, with its mysterious synth, thrumming bass and, near the end, a kick-in of dancefloor joy. The song is also full of optimism. "If you could take a break to recalibrate/ You'd see beyond the sky/ I only want your world to keep you awake/ Don't lose your chancе to fly," sings Pilbeam, who has said the lyrics are about being gentle with yourself in the throes of depression. "Lights On" is packed with ricocheting keys, a chunky beat, sunny guitar and sex appeal: "I never felt so good with the lights on." Chilled "Quicksand" features synth and vocals that echo and tremble, like the audio version of fun-house mirrors. Co-written with Dan Nigro, best known for his work with Olivia Rodrigo, it has an excellent emo chorus. And there's a late-80s Madchester vibe to the absolutely fabulous "This Enchanted" and "The Rhythm." The band's dreaminess, meanwhile, comes in the form of '90s references. A comparison to the Sundays and, sometimes, Lush is inescapable and entirely complimentary on songs like the sun-dappled "Take My Hand"—with its splashes of chiming percussion—and the swirly "Twin," secured by a soothing bass. Ditto the woozy melody of "'Til We Run Out of Air." ("Don't Leave Me in the Rain," incidentally, has a Cranberries vibe and the cool effect of pounding keys that sound like hammering rain.) It's not accurate to call Hatchie twee, though. "Thinking Of" is big, even with Pilbeam's breathy vocalizations and languidly drawn-out vowels, as is "The Key," which is like the song equivalent of a false awakening: one of those dreams that it's almost impossible to pull yourself out of.