If you subscribe to the argument that not many people came out of the pandemic’s other side without experiencing change, superficially Here In The Pitch is almost evidence enough to debunk the theory. Jessica Pratt’s last outing, 2019’s haunting, ethereal Quiet Signs had been her first recorded in a professional studio, but her prefefence for minimalism meant there were few clues to it’s altered circumstances.
It’s follow up shares certain characteristics, notably Pratt’s breathy, fractured but always captivating voice and a minstrel’s way with opaque lyricism. But having spent her lockdown diving deep into the wells of Stephen King’s The Shining and Charles Manson’s more culturally dubious artistry, Here In The Pitch introduces a residual playfulness to her mysticism.
The essence of this can be found in the use of Bossa rhytyms on several occasions – most notably on Better Hate – and the odd abstract electronic swatch as with Get Your Head Out. A discernible peak is reached with that Empires Never Know and Nowhere It Was, before closer The Last Year waves the singer off into some kind off Broadway sunset or another. Few artists navigated the last five years completely unchanged, and if you listen close, Here In The Pitch lands that reality in a consumate way.
You can read a full review here.
The Voice Of Unreason 