Released: 21st June 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
Harriet Pilbeam has always loved the twin delights of the purest, sweetest pop as well as the swooning dream pop haze of prime shoegaze. On her debut album with her band Hatchie, the Australian star has combined both those loves into a glorious mix.
‘Keepsake’ is full of instantly memorable hooks coupled with a pop sensibility that allows her songs of love and longing to soar with cloudbusting joy. Opening track ‘Not That Kind’ is Carly Rae Jepsen by way of the Cocteau Twins while yearning and beautiful cuts like ‘Her Own Heart’ are full of the kind of wide-eyed wonder that makes Hatchie so ecstatic.
A subtle darker edge is brought in via the crunching guitars of ‘Unwanted Guest’ but it’s immediately followed by the blissful reverie of the fluttering ‘Secret’. Darkness can’t shadow Hatchie’s world for long.
‘Keepsake’ sounds instantly familiar and is undoubtedly coloured by a nostalgic hue, but it’s obvious Hatchie deeply love the dream pop that inspired the album so much and it succeeds in providing a fresh impetus and vibrancy. There are at least five undeniable golden singles on here and for a debut album, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Martyn Young
