PINLIGHT – Grow Slow

The delightful title track makes for the most ideal of introductions, where Jenny dazzles with her stunningly broad voice. The verses are comprised of these bright, luminous synths while the chorus is a bit more straight forward yet awfully catchy. Distant House settles the mood down a few notches for something pretty lovely and serene, and while structurally clunky in a couple of spots, the lead single Armour features great lyrics and continues to showcase that persistent sense of atmosphere.

Champagne is a definite stand out from the pack thus far with its distinctly effective and varied use of instruments spanning the likes of strings, pianos and woodwind, plus that main drum beat throughout is sharp and strident, Unborn is another that is a bit over the place, not being able to stick to a consistent rhythm, but the electronics are totally sublime, particularly in the beginning.

Everything is stripped right back for When I Was A Little Girl, perhaps the most powerful of the lot, magnetic not only on a sonic level, but through the legitimacy of the lyrics and the sincerity of Jenny’s sweet voice. That quietness rolls into the initial sections of the closing number Freefall, before more ingredients are gradually added in to create an all in all excellent wee number.

Is this the most refined album out there? Not quite. Are there a few flaws that could have been ironed out? Absolutely. But is Pinlight still worth a recommendation? Undoubtedly.

A couple of the songs visibly don’t hit the mark, but when Jenny does so, the results are grand, with a line of music that is bare minimum nice, and at its best simply marvellous. The Edinburgh alt-pop artist is clearly capable of delivering the goods. She should certainly be getting more attention, and if she can work on stepping up her game where necessary, a bright future for her is more than possible.

OUT NOW!