On her second album, British singer/songwriter
Gemma Ray lights out again on the adventurous trajectory she established with her 2008 debut. The word used repeatedly to describe
Ray's cinematic retro sound is "noirish," and while that accurately describes the spacious, tremolo-heavy atmosphere of many of the songs here, it misses the warmth, quirky wit, and low-gloss sparkle of
Ray's writing. She references pre-Fab Four rock for the melody and melodrama, ‘60s girl groups for the harmonies, spaghetti western soundtracks for the sense of space, and indie-pop for the cheek.