The voice of Jessica Dobson is a formidible weapon in an indie-pop arsenal. The settings around that instrument are a little too slick at times on Billboard Heart, the new album from Dobson's Deep Sea Diver. However, that being said, there's a lot of material here that pleases a whole lot.
The title cut marries Dobson's emotive vocals with sleek production elements and a nice guitar solo, though things get a little too Scandal-ish for these ears. Elsewhere, "What Do I Know" is radio-friendly rock with a neat energy about it. It's one of the best tracks here, though there are others similarly pitched and executed.
Where Billboard Heart works best is where Jessica Dobson's voice surprises and thrills, like on the mid-tempo "Loose Change", and where her pipes and the band's chops punch things into overdrive, like on "Shovel", a clear highlight here. Where Billboard Heart is less successful is where the tracks feel less energetic than they could due to the mired-in-the-Eighties production elements. The slick settings are a distraction at times from what could be an album as good as recent ones from Sharon Van Etten or Angel Olsen. One listen to the stunning "Always Waving Goodbye" provides proof that Dobson is in the same league. My misgivings about the production on some of this aside, there are parts of this new Deep Sea Diver record that are still very highly recommended.
Billboard Heart by Deep Sea Diver is out now on Sub Pop.
[Photo: Shervin Lainez]