Giving the World Away

"You could take a break to recalibrate," sings at one point on , and that's just what she did on her second album. While her first full-length, 2019's , proved she could expand on her 1990s-meets-21st century, dream pop-meets-Top 40 pop style with sweet sincerity, three years later she branched out with a more ambitious sound and more mature songwriting. Working with -- who has helped , , and reach ethereal heights -- and drummer , on ventures further into the more complex and sometimes darker approach she only hinted at on her debut album. "Lights On" introduces her new outlook with harder-hitting beats, shimmering keyboards, and confident vocals that strip some of the sugar from her delivery (but not too much). The title track is an even bigger departure, with acid house keyboards and a driving urgency that recalls the electronic pop of the late '90s and early 2000s instead of the dream pop and shoegaze heyday a few years prior. However, hasn't deserted her flair for sticky-sweet choruses or blissfully distorted guitars. There are plenty of both on "This Enchanted," which evokes 's mix of baggy beats and clouds of guitar on their classic single "Pearl." Yet even when she sings about breezy romance on "Twin" and "Sunday Song," there's a sense of serene connection that feels more real than 's yearning and crushes. "The Key"'s pairing of shoegaze riffs and glossy trip-hop beats -- which are more or than -- feels both fresh and true to her music. The same goes for "Quicksand" and "Don't Leave Me in the Rain," both of which lend more restraint and depth to the album's approach. As she ponders "the you you used to be" while drifting off on "Til We Run Out of Air"'s gossamer wash of sound, she distills 's balancing act between contentment and the need for growth perfectly. ~ Heather Phares