Reservoir

Most of us have experienced an anxious moment or two. For Australia’s Sophie Payten, aka Gordi, those moments are something she refers to as being in the reservoir, that hard-to-describe space that’s easy to get caught in. Reservoir is the title and the basis of her debut full-length, which navigates the ebb and flow of life’s strong platonic relationships. Though lyrically the album might stem from an unsettled place, the sonic elements complement the message, creating soothing tones. Gordi’s mature alto delivery has an ageless quality to it, featuring the aural stamina of greats like Annie Lennox or Imogen Heap (particularly on “Can We Work It Out”). The songs’ consistent emotional crescendos have a revelatory feel akin to labelmate Bon Iver (whom Gordi joined for a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon). The clean pop is a balance of heavy low synths and vocal distortion, with grounding touches of subtle horn lines and clean guitar.