Here is Elizabeth Morris, frontwoman of Australian and English indie band Allo Darlin’, performing two songs from her band’s recently released, third full-length album, “We Come from the Same Place.”
I found Allo Darlin’s first, eponymous record a real pleasure. Their second, “Europe,” was also enjoyable but somehow not quite as gripping. So I was a bit circumspect when approaching this new one; a band’s third full-length album is often the milestone that reveals whether or not their talent can go the distance. Moreover, Allo Darlin’ trade in a willfully anachronistic, sometimes overly precious genre of pop that can easily slip from charming into cloying, especially when artists run out of ideas and attempt to skate by on style.
Twenty-some plays through the album later, I can attest that the band fell into none of these traps. “We Come from the Same Place” is remarkably solid, incredibly hooky, and surprisingly immersive. Morris’s songwriting craft is at a new high. It’s denser and more assured, less reliant than ever on cuteness without losing its trademark diary-like lyrics. It’s a truly great record and I can’t stop playing it.
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