She Makes War

Gloom pop. That’s what Laura Kidd has dubbed herself. The singer – noted for her work with I Blame Coco, Tricky and Alex Parks – has cornered the market in silly genre names. Her record label must be ecstatic.

It’s a good thing, then, that Kidd (who records under the name She Makes War) is actually a supremely talented artist, as good with a guitar as she is at ambling her way through shimmering vocal takes. And Little Battles is high quality stuff. You can hear it the moment the intro comes on. Producer Myles Clark crafts a gorgeous instrumental guitar tune, lacing it with ambient city sounds that flicker on the edge of the stereo field. When Kidd herself shows up on the brooding minefields, you’re perfectly primed for some gloom.

Conflict is the theme here, and Kidd handles it well, turning what could have been a very trying experience into one that will haunt and dazzle you in equal measure. Our particular favourite: the aggressive In This Boat, which will stay on long after this album has been filed away. It might be gloomy, but it’s kind of fun too. www.shemakeswar.com

Rob Boffard