Early Moon

Album review

On her first solo outing since 2014, Sally Seltmann weaves a warm blanket of hopeful indie pop with artful and frequently lush arrangements. A fixture of Australian indie music since the 1990s, Seltmann has remained busy in recent years composing the soundtrack the popular comedy series The Letdown with her husband, producer Darren Seltmann (the Avalanches), publishing her first novel, and releasing a second album as part of the songwriter supergroup Seeker Lover Keeper. Written and recorded at home during the depths of the global pandemic, Early Moon is her third proper solo album, though she previously released two more in the same vein under the name New Buffalo. It is also as comforting and lovingly crafted as anything she has released. Opener "Please Louise" is classic Seltmann, blending clever wordplay with an endearingly compassionate tone and strong, driving melodies. Her airy vocals thread another highlight, "Table for One," as gentle guitars and pianos intermingle with layers of shimmering synths. For a record conceived during such a dark period, Early Moon is intentionally upbeat and buoyant, focusing on affirmational themes like self-reliance ("Female Pied Piper") and the healing power of nature ("Fill My Senses"). This type of sweetly sighing chamber pop is Seltmann's wheelhouse, and while she doesn't do much to push those boundaries, she also does no harm to her reputation. Early Moon is affable and easy on the ears with enough standouts to help anchor its more ephemeral tendencies.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo