Returning after a five-year absence, English singer/songwriter
Birdy
takes another big step forward with her fourth set,
Young Heart
. Her most confident and mature effort yet, the album embraces the pastoral, soothing with its authentic and intimate snapshots that evoke albums like
Goldfrapp
's
Seventh Tree
or
KT Tunstall
Invisible Empire//Crescent Moon
. Influenced by
Etta James
,
Nina Simone
, and
Joni Mitchell
, the songwriting and vocals take center stage, scaling back the peak production heard on her previous work, 2016's
Beautiful Lies
, and allowing an appropriate mood to match the heartache and hurt. In the years that she stepped away from the limelight, she took time to heal her wounds by heading to India and the Hollywood Hills, finding new inspirations and stories to tell, which reveal themselves on heartbreakers like "Nobody Knows Me Like You Do" and "Little Blue." Even though much of the lyrical content hits like a punch to the gut,
is sure to lift listeners from the doldrums with the ethereal "Loneliness" and the relatively uplifting "Second Hand News." The tribal "Deepest Lonely" tears at the heartstrings while channeling the forest-shaman energy of
Florence Welch
and the soaring power of
Adele
, while, later, the hypnotic "Celestial Dancers" transports listeners across the galaxy on a journey inspired by her time in Goa. Despite running a little long at 16 tracks, there's a wealth of emotion and gorgeous production at every turn, resulting in fresh moments of wonder popping up when least expected. From the sweeping "Surrender" and "River Song" to the gospel-tinged epic hymnal of the title track,
outdoes herself with
, a pensive journey that offers some solace and a shoulder to cry on. ~ Neil Z. Yeung