Not The Girl

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Holly Macve's dreamy music is almost impossible to categorize. She could fit neatly next to Lana Del Rey, with her low rasp and languid pacing. But that rasp can also twist and twang like Patsy Cline or Gillian Welch. And there's no way not to draw comparisons to the gauzy, '90s psych-drone stylings of Mazzy Star. On Not the Girl, the follow-up to her critically respected 2017 debut Golden Eagle, the young Irish singer-songwriter explores more expansive—and darker—territory, but that darkness is often shot through with rays of sunlight. While Golden Eagle was written in her bedroom when Macve had really only played open-mic nights, this time around you can hear the benefits of having toured and performed with other acts, including a full symphony with Mercury Rev. She also seems to have picked up some of that band's desert-noir vibe, especially on songs like the excellent "Daddy's Gone," an almost gospel meditation that turns, in the end, into a bit of a girl-group swing. Opener "Bird," with its stacked vocal layers and slightly blurred harmonies, gives Del Rey a run for her money in the high-drama chill-out department, as does the title track: All cool synth and slow, moody drums, it steps into the sun with its wide-open chorus. Macve uses that sweeping move to great effect also on "Sweet Marie," which starts off with a (comparatively) propulsive marching beat and low siren, only to free up and soar near the end. Piano ballad "Eye of the Storm" highlight's Macve's smoky qualities with pretty strings, "Behind the Flowers" comes on like a modern spaghetti Western soundtrack, and catchy "Who Am I" is surprisingly upbeat. Sometimes Macve's songs feel so ethereal you're not sure if they just happened. The waltz-like "You Can Do Better" is a sweet haze, while "Be My Friend" drifts up and off at the end, like smoke floating away into the sky. It all closes out with the lovely "Lonely Road," which flows as gentle as a backyard creek. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz