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Fantastic second album from Aussie singer.

If I were to summarise the second album from Australian singer-songwriter Holly Throsby by the briefest of descriptions that description would be an aural treat. 'Under the Town' is the kind of album I long for and appears all too scarcely, yet its appearance is always a pleasant surprise like a light breeze making you stumble.

Opening with the soft tones of the title track, 'Under the Town' is a song of fragile love referencing the William Tell fable with the line "my heart's an apple-red, round and you shot it out". Holly's voice is somewhere near the offbeat quirkiness of Laura Veirs and is equally as bewitching. Possibly the strongest track emerges in the form of 'Making A Fire', featuring some sumptuous and innovative percussion arrangements.

'If We Go Easy' has an antiquarian feel reminiscent of The Decemberists with its tale of sailing out to sea with your love. The simplicity of the instruments is charming, with the acoustic guitar, violin and piano sounding vital and never laboured. Similarly the piano-led intro to 'On Longing' is pretty and sparse in all the right ways, a fragile and unsentimental take on lovelorn regrets.

Each song here has charm in abundance and is well worth investing in. Holly Throsby's unique vocals and beautiful acoustic folk are a welcome relief from the dreary attempts made elsewhere. There are no criticisms to share, so invest in a copy of 'Under the Town' now, and let it melt your heart.