Album Review: HTRK – Venus In Leo

Online astrological soothsayers tell us that people whose Venus is in Leo are "demanding" and "want to be adored as uniquely special". Strangely, on so many levels, these descriptors could be used to describe the latest HTRK album of the same name. This time around the Aussie duo have crafted an album that revels in intimate introspection. 

The album’s opener, Into The Drama, sets the tone, sporting a low-key almost meditative sound as Jonnine Standish croons lyrics about love and loss in a soft tone. Nigel Yang arranges a delicate blend of synths and twangy guitar into a mix that grows organically around Standish’s vocals. The title track speaks in the surreal language of dreams before Dream Symbol, even more mellow and intimate, coos delightfully into listener's ears. 

A release that takes a few spins to fully appreciate, Venus In Leo is a ghostly album of artfully executed pop that moves to a sensuous, spectral groove.