Album Review: Holly Throsby - After A Time

There's something so light about Holly Throsby's musical touch — unobtrusive but not timid.

Opener Aeroplane is subtle in its echoey call and response, but also features lots of instrumental room, making it light but not fluffy. It has something of a sister tune later with Evening Stroll — similarly breathy but this time with a type of alt-jazz support as a sax meanders along on the vocal path. This one's firmly grounded (lyrically, too), but with a similar sentimentality. The album moves across tempos and approaches, with lovely pop interludes Going To The Sea and Find Your Way Home, both catchy and delivering tales of moving at a brighter pace (and with a more upbeat approach). It reminds of Woodface-era Crowded House — almost twee at times with apparent happiness — fun to hear and hard to resist tapping along to.

Then there's the bloody great break with What Do You Say?, where Mark Kozelek's voice counters Throsby's perfectly by refusing to blend in. The sounds don't clash but they refuse to merge, telling the song's story beyond its lyrics. Similarly, the emergence of Being Born is so great in the way its soundscape matches its theme — ambling to begin until it builds confidence — finding its feet as the verses progress and with unexpected-by-delightful backing vocals to bring it home. Don't forget to hang in for the tight harmonies on final track Seeing You Now, too.

Simple and gorgeous.