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Jun 19, 2019 Web Exclusive By Michael Watkins

Off the back of some really strong early singles and EPs, it’s fair to say that Hatchie’s debut album Keepsake was always going to be one to look out for this year. Combining ‘80s pop sensibilities, shoegaze atmospheres, and monochrome vocals, the ingredients from which Harriette Pilbeam creates her musical aesthetic is one that is both instantly appealing and, remarkably for an artist so early on in her career, instantly recognizable. She’s made a signature sound already. Now, she just needs the hits to go with it.

Lead singles “Stay With Me,” “Without a Blush,” and “Obsessed” certainly indicated that these main pull factors had carried over to her debut full-length, but they also suggested that her brightest cuts so far remained on last year’s excellent Sugar & Spice EP. However, when fitted into the greater narrative of Keepsake, these songs take on a new life altogether. Here, they are important cogs in a seemingly unstoppable dream-pop engine.

Over the 45 or so minute run time of Keepsake, new highlights such as opener “Not That Kind” and “Unwanted Guest” reveal themselves and, with all the pieces of the jigsaw finally coming together, it’s difficult to avoid the reality that this debut album is assured, masterful, and truly immersive in the best possible way. Keepsake engages its audience through ideas that are far from the most original out there today, but because of the standard at which they are delivered and the consistency with which this style keeps creating ear worms for the listener, the inventiveness of these cuts becomes irrelevant.

Evoking the sonic touchstones of acts such as Beach House, Purity Ring, and Chromatics, Hatchie invites you to bathe in the joyous essence of Keepsake. From the opening notes of “Not That Kind” until the closing utterances of “Keep,” her vice-like grip over your attention never threatens to wane. This is a record destined to sit at the beginning of a promising legacy in years to come, as Hatchie continues to create jangling sonic comfort food far into the future. (www.hatchie.net)

Author rating: 8.5/10