Kiwi songstress Ladyhawke is finally back, and she is without the heavy synth sound that dominated her debut. ‘Black, White & Blue’ is a guitar-based fizzy pop song with blocky bass guitar and a chorus reminiscent of Abba, mixing the pessimistic (“no communication/wondering if you’ll ever feel alright”) with an undeniable buoyancy that seems to defy the drizzle and will transport you somewhere a bit nicer. ‘Black, White & Blue’ is just as catchy as we have come to expect from Ladyhawke, and is a good indication that the reason her second album has taken so long isn’t because she has lost it. There are also a few pretty computery blips and bleeps in there to keep you entertained. Lovely.
Released February 20th
7/10
