Album Review: Rainbow Chan - Spacings

Although Rainbow Chan has recently been releasing some really sweet singles, the drop of her first LP is sure to turn a few heads and mark the emergence of a fresh new voice in Australian music.

Across the ten songs of this album, Chan works mellow, pastel coloured vibes with a light whimsical touch that occasionally borders on being a little twee. Looping and layering her vocals, Chan can be bewitchingly elfin in exactly the same way that those words have been used to describe Bjork. Yet she seems keen to avoid abstraction to deal adult pop songs in which she coos about love and fading relationships. At times, Chan's songwriting feels a little nostalgic for the past as she rather conservatively sticks to lyrics loaded with narrative and memories wrapped around familiar pop hooks.

What sets Chan apart from the rest of the crowd is the cool diva-esque charm she exudes as her vocals glide smoothly across twitchy, glitched up electronic arrangements that provide a contemporary setting for her songs. Thick layers of her vocals singing in unison on songs like The Letter create a dreamy sound that wraps itself around listeners. Lead single Work has the confident house bounce of the Masters At Work. Taking in the vibrant charm of tunes like Last and Stretched, close listening reveals an intricately crafted mix filled with oddments of sampled sounds that have been cleverly pulled together into coherence. Rainbow Chan is her real name and she comes to us in shades of delectable hues.