The music of Linying is so simple, direct, and emotive that I expect her new record to get lots of attention soon. Swim, Swim, out now, finds the Sinaporean-originating artist bringing the pop sound of her home in L.A. to the masses in a big way. The cuts here are all a lot of fun.
The title cut is bright and airy, with production which keeps things uncluttered. There's plenty of space here for Linying's voice to take center-stage, and while the verses find her nearly whispering the words, the big chorus is where she cuts loose. This is really good stuff for fans of artists like Clairo. Elsewhere, "Blondie" soars on the back of one of the best melodic hooks here, Linying's voice taking flight on a percolating mix of electronics. The tunes here on Swim, Swim like this one really seem like compositions meant to be radio hits, and I mean that in the best possible way. And for numbers which are not quite so obvious, there's a smartness at work, like in "Dial Tone" which suggests peak Aimee Mann from a few decades ago, or the absolutely gorgeous piano ballad "Good is Better Than Better" which nods in the direction of early Sarah McLachlan (who got her start on this same label, I might add).
Linying has a command of a few styles here on Swim, Swim. The material is robust enough to satisfy those who want a slightly left-of-mainstream pop fix, and for those who want something more emotive, and faithful to the trappings of alternative music. What it boils down to is just how listenable this record is, and how easy it is to play this and become a fan of Linying.
Swim, Swim by Linying is out now via Nettwerk.
[Photo: Michelle Mei]