Album Review: Tiny Ruins - Brightly Painted One

Tiny Ruins started as a solo project in 2009 for New Zealand artist Hollie Fullbrook, joined since by bassist Cass Basil and drummer Alexander Freer. This is kind of a surprise, because this record feels so personal, Fullbrook guiding us almost conspiratorially though these private and beautiful stories. The breathy strength of her voice, as highlighted in the production, recalls Sharon Van Etten quite strongly, though this is a quieter, less dramatic record than we've seen from Etten. Convincing without being overly earnest, Brightly Painted One is acoustic folk-pop done with rare finesse.