Absolutely Yours - "Natural Wonder"
Absolutely Yours’ first album in two years sees the Brooklyn quartet tinkering with their tried and true formula in just the right ways. Any sort of large scale departure from the placid dream-pop heard on their first two full-lengths and their gorgeous 2018 EP Impossible Bouquet would be a mistake, and thankfully, the band is honing in on their strengths and growing in key areas to flesh out their sound on Natural Wonder. They added a new vocalist, Kelly Duchesne, who takes the lead on some tracks and adds backing vocals on others, further enhancing their floating and fluttery feel. Their sound has also benefited from greater use of synths, omnichord, and varied guitar tones, making for some more colorful and vibrant dynamics.
Natural Wonder, like its predecessors, sounds mysterious and meditative with swaths of twinkling guitars and profound lyrics that touch on themes of loss and separation. The combination has a stimulating effect, one that’s gorgeously hypnotic, soothing, and introspective. The album’s first two tracks, “Fool For You” and “Moon back,” are nice examples of the perfect union of these elements. Both feature a series of whistling riffs and elongated synths that softly float amongst some warm melodies with lyrics that specifically address the confusion and uncertainty that comes after a lost love. On nearly every song, the introduction of the dual vocal dynamics of Duchense and Briget Collins has the effect of thickening both the melodies and harmonies, particularly on the album’s second single, “Fumble and float” and my personal favorite track, “Subterranean.” The enchanting interplay of their voices is definitely one of the hallmarks of Natural Wonder.
The album also has a few uptempo tracks like “Call it like I see it,” which features some chirpy, almost mandolin sounding guitars, and “Peace lily,” a song that probably packs the most echoey and rollicking riffs on the whole record, but the majority of songs are down and mid-tempo - and some are straight-up tear-jerkers. Towards the end of the record, the lyrics turn to some beautiful plant and wildlife imagery on “Ecosystem” and the somber “The Garden,” which both center around Collins’ breathless voice. The latter is the album closer, and its the real tear-jerker - so grab a kleenex.
You can purchase Natural Wonder via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify. Keep up with Absolutely Yours on Facebook and Instagram.
