Opener "Terrified" purrs and chimes and offers bliss tempered with smarts, while "Rocking at the Bottom" is dream-pop that burns and roars. Fans of anything producer Fridmann's touched will find points of interest here, sure, but Penelope Isles are, with this record, staking out their own territory in a big, big way. The vocals from Lily Wolter on something like "Play It Cool" suggest Kate Bush with mid-Nineties Lush behind here. This is wildly tuneful stuff, with lots and lots of it having the kind of sweep far too little has these days.
Even the slower numbers here retain the kind of power that's impressive. "Sailing Still", a fine showcase for Lily Wolters' vocals, washes over a listener like mid-Nineties era Cocteaus stuff, but also like things from The Flaming Lips produced by this record's producer some decades ago. Penelope Isles never get lost in the elements of the production, thankfully, using the effects, soundscapes, and instrumental flourishes to burnish their brand of indie-pop. And all throughout Which Way to Happy, there's a large-ness here that is stunning. "Sudoku", for example, starts on an intimate note then expands outwards like something by Spiritualized, only with more sweep.
More so than on their first record, here Penelope Isles have clearly mastered their sound in such a way that, fast or slow, the tunes positively envelope a listen in a bath of sonic pleasures. This is a headphones epic, but Which Way to Happy is also the sort of thing to crank at the edge of the sea, as the season changes, and one feels the inexorable pull of time. It's got that kind of elemental force running through its grooves. What an absolute joy of a thing, this album is!
Which Way to Happy is out on Friday via Bella Union.
More details on Penelope Isles via the band's official website.
[Photo: Bella Union]