Album Review: Gordi - Our Two Skins

On her second effort Our Two Skins, Gordi, AKA Sydney's Sophie Payten, strips back the layers of glitch and experimentation for a decidedly more focused record.

Opening song proper Aeroplane Bathroom makes clear that this is going to be a vulnerable journey - she does warn us after all that she "can’t get my shit together” and the "contents of her chest are down there on the floor”. 

However, any fears she might have had about this offering - which among other things explores finding new love against the backdrop of the polarising marriage plebiscite and revealing her sexuality to her loved ones - are cunningly disguised in anthemic cuts such as Unready and the steadily uplifting Extraordinary Life.

Across the board these songs feel equal parts empowering and reflective, set to Gordi’s smorgasbord of folk, pop and piano ballads, but condensed into a far easier listen for the casual indie fan.

There’s still plenty to love here if you’ve admired her from her work with more abstract groups such as the PEOPLE Collective and Big Red Machine - just listen to some of the effects that gurgle beneath the defiant Hate The World. Our Two Skins sharpens Gordi's musical pallet, resulting in a ten-song story of love, acceptance and self-discovery.