Stonechild in Bloomington, MN

Following two albums for
Sub Pop
that included a collaboration with
Iron & Wine
's
Sam Beam
(
Love Letter for Fire
) and the
Blake Mills
-produced
Memories Are Now
,
Jesca Hoop
continues to expand and sharpen her distinctive indie folk on her
Memphis Industries
debut,
Stonechild
. It was recorded with longtime
PJ Harvey
collaborator
John Parish
, who has also produced albums for the likes of
Jenny Hval
Aldous Harding
, and
This Is the Kit
. The latter's
Kate Stables
and
Rozi Plain
are among the guests on
, a set that puts a premium on chromatic melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, and spare arrangements to the point of sometimes evoking Renaissance vocal music. With lyrics like "Hope lives with darkness, he sleeps in her bed," the delicate "All Time Low" spotlights
Hoop
's articulate vocals and beguiling circular melody by supporting them with unobtrusive plucked guitar punctuated with bent notes. Eventually, what sounds like pedal piano and
's layered vocal harmonies are the only additional accompaniment to the song's cautionary allegory. A more dramatic track is lead single "Shoulder Charge," one of two songs featuring the harmony vocals of
Lucius
'
Holly Laessig
Jess Wolfe
. Its mix of electric and acoustic instrumentation has a more atmospheric presence leading into a full-throated climax midway through, with rallying lyrics suggesting that empathy is contagious ("Nothing one can go through has not been shared by two"). Opening with a field recording of children at play, another harmonic highlight, "Outside Eden," is a duet with
. The album takes into account the personal politics of the late 2010s, with other songs addressing subjects like patriarchy and misogyny ("Old Fear of the Father") and white supremacy ("Red White and Black"), all with persistent elegance and gumption. Poised and spacious, warm and inclusive, and highly provoked,
is another memorable addition to
's discography. ~ Marcy Donelson