Leading up to
How Much Works
, the output of Australian musician
Esther Edquist
underwent quite a transformation. The hazy, downcast dream pop of her band
Superstar
was followed by an experimental album consisting of only voice and bass (2016's
O.K. Permanent Wave
, her first release as
Sweet Whirl
). Unpredictably to outsiders, her solo work shifted toward more structured, melody-centric songwriting with a classic '60s-'70s influence for the 2019 EP
Love Songs & Poetry
. She uses that still-dreamy EP as a launching point for
, her first album for
Chapter Music
and official
debut. Opening the record with a spacious arrangement of piano, keyboard, staccato bass, and crisp snare instead of the EP's reverberating guitar, "Sweetness" adds a commanding lead vocal line, organ tones, and vocal harmony for a mellow, jazzy pop that has much more in common with
Joni Mitchell
than with
. That clarity presides over much of the album, though there are exceptions in "Something I Do," a ruminative ballad that keeps articulate vocals and piano but invites in spacy synths, and "How to Count," which turns to bass and minimal guitar to accompany
Edquist
's doleful vocals ("Love is the exact amount you withdrew upon leaving"). "Make That Up for Me" is another guitar-based track to make an appearance before the sultry, torch song-styled closer, "Your Love on Ice," ends
on a union of melodic bass and organ. Not a belter, the singer's somewhat husky delivery sits well on these observant, resigned songs, which represent a promising start for a newfound musical direction. ~ Marcy Donelson