With each new album,
Lydia Ainsworth's music slightly but noticeably changes its shape. Her fourth album,
Sparkles & Debris, moves closer to the pop accessibility amplified on 2019's
Phantom Forest, but almost sounds like the work of a completely different artist when compared to her earliest and far more experimental output. The newest step in
Ainsworth's ongoing shift toward pop is her embrace of live instrumentation and a warmer, more organic production style. Where
Phantom Forest found her shedding some of her experimental leanings in favor of melodic hooks and conventional song structures, the changes here take the form of sample-heavy synth pop with hints of '90s R&B influences. While opening track "Parade" still builds on a foundation of huge kick-drum samples and sharp-edged synth bass, airy guitar leads and the occasional showy drum fill make the album sound more lived-in and open than her earlier efforts. Songs like "Forever," "Cake," and "Queen of Darkness" find
Ainsworth's yearning, nearly anthemic vocals supported by friendly, personality-filled live band arrangements. The R&B undercurrents that surfaced on
Phantom Forest continue on
Sparkles & Debris, but also turn away from synth pop in favor of something less rigid and robotic. The bumpy beat and winding vocal melodies of "Cosmic Dust" are clearly inspired by
Timbaland and
Aaliyah's collaborative spark, and the huge chorus and gentle touches of piano and acoustic guitar are borrowed from
TLC's production playbook. There's even an unexpected cover of
Chic's "Good Times" that slows the original's tempo and wraps the song in
Ainsworth's patented chilly atmospherics. While still a far cry from mainstream pop, the immediacy of the songwriting and colorful arrangements make
Sparkles & Debris the most straightforward chapter in the evolution of
Ainsworth's pop vision. ~ Fred Thomas