Little World

Chronique

Allyson Seconds is the wife of Kevin Seconds, once and future founder and frontman of 7 Seconds, but anyone who imagines she shares her husband's enthusiasm for old-school hardcore is very much mistaken. On her second album, 2016's Little World, Seconds shows off her love for smart pop with baroque and psychedelic accents, and the fact that it features guest appearances from Colin Moulding of XTC and Scott Miller of Game Theory and the Loud Family (in one of his final recordings) should give you some idea of what to expect. Seconds made Little World in collaboration with Anton Barbeau, a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with an impressive pedigree in the California pop underground, and he's created some gorgeous backdrops for her. At once upbeat and graceful, these songs carry an impressive degree of sparkle and atmosphere with one foot in the '60s and the other in contemporary indie pop. At the same time, while this music is playful, it's not without depth, and on numbers like "Apples Are Falling," "Octagon," and "Summer of Gold," Seconds demonstrates that she's a thoughtful singer and lyricist who can carry her fair share of emotional weight. Best of all, Seconds is a great singer, with a rich, clear instrument that can express a wealth of emotions with ease; she bears a passing vocal resemblance to Sam Phillips, and similarly works beautifully with psychedelic tropes without tripping into the stylistic clichés of the form. With only her second album, Seconds shows she's a pop prodigy with talent and vision, and she and Barbeau make a winning team; hopefully they have more gems like Little World up their sleeves.
© Mark Deming /TiVo