Modern Woman - Johnny’s Dreamworld

Modern Woman’s ‘Johnny’s Dreamworld’ leans hard into storytelling; there’s a literary streak running throughout, with each track unfolding like a vignette, full of strange details, half-explained moments and stories that don’t always give you the full picture. It’s less about neat narratives and more about what sits underneath them.

The title-track opens in a haze that’s seductive and sinister, Sophie Harris’ vocal drawing you in before things start to skew. ‘Neptune Girl’ follows with a sharper edge, all confidence and force, shaped by a thread of guilt that lingers beneath the surface, giving its defiance a sharper bite.

‘Offerings’ slips between sparse verses and sudden bursts, that St. Vincent-style push and pull giving it tension while still holding onto a folk-leaning instinct for narrative. ‘Killing A Dog’ begins gently before expanding into something far more unsettling, while ‘Daniel’ brings in strings that deepen the atmosphere and give the track a heavier emotional pull. ‘Blessed Day’ flips the mood entirely, landing as a blast of anger that feels cathartic and, crucially, fun.

By the time ‘Dashboard Mary’ arrives, things take a darker turn, tracing a sad arc that ultimately lands on resilience, before ‘The Garden’ closes things out in rich, ballad form, like a folktale with its edges left deliberately blurred.

A patchwork of memories and half-formed scenes, ‘Johnny’s Dreamworld’ cements Modern Woman as masters of vivid, story-led songwriting.