Ren Harvieu was a buzzed-about BBC Sound nominee in 2012, when she put out a passable debut of orchestral pop, made noteworthy by her smooth voice. It reached the UK top five, but she was dropped by her major label shortly after. Eight years later, the Salford singer-songwriter’s second album reveals her desire for a fresh start.
Working with Romeo Stodart of the Magic Numbers, she has created woozy, cinematic songs that are full of yearning and vulnerability – Teenage Mascara possesses a plush wave of harmonies, Yes Please is beguilingly delicate, and the otherwise conventional This Is How You Make Me Feel has a spacy production. Her rich voice remains the star, though, stopping the album from ever sounding twee and schmaltzy.
The standout track is Cruel Disguise, where Harvieu’s melancholy, powerful vocal combines with a lithe bassline and baroque rock stylings. And while the singer may no longer be flavour of the month, this is still an impressive set.
