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Sep 01, 2015 Tamaryn By Billy Hamilton

The act of reinvention is a time-honoured tradition in the world of pop. From global megastars like Madonna and Bob Dylan to lesser-known indie outfits like The Horrors, a shift in direction can often lead to rejuvenated results. Of course, it can also have the opposite effect, as Smashing Pumpkins and Yeasayer have found to their peril.

Cranekiss, New Zealand-born/New York-based songstress Tamaryn’s third LP, is the sound of yet another artist attempting to redefine herself. Gone are the inward facing guitar templates of 2012’s Tender New Signs; in their place sit dense, synth heavy numbers swelling with atmosphere and tinged with exuberance. Tracks like “Fade Away Slow” or the Tubeway Army-styled “Hands All Over Me” aren’t so much slow steps into new territories, more gargantuan tectonic shifts that land you slap, bang into a synthesized world.

The good news is it works. Across these 10 cuts, Tamaryn delivers something that’s burgeoning with warm, nostalgic shimmers, such as “I Won’t Be Found” and the equally divine “Collection.” And yet, despite the new sonic tilt, it’s her porcelain vocal that remains the record’s lifeblood, particularly when her honeyed intone laces between the aquatic strains of “Keep Calling.”

While this sonic evolution is unlikely to lift Tamaryn into the upper crust of the mainstream, Cranekiss feels like a fresh step forward for an artist of her creative ilk. A simple change has done her the world of good. (www.tamarynmusic.com)

Author rating: 7.5/10