Album Review: Lisa Crawley - Up In The Air

There's a theatricality to this EP that is reminiscent of Sarah Blasko's As Day Follows Night.

But Lisa Crawley's voice is all her own, her sultry lower register and occasional switches to shrillness selling the drama of her narrative lyrics. Producer Ryan Ritchie (Kimbra) works a deft touch, with the minimalist fusion of synth and organic instruments bringing plenty of texture and variety. Like Blasko, the sonic brightness of Crawley's songs flirts with darkness: Up In The Air is a sparkling torch song that tends more to obsession than affection, while Showgirl's "Just a showgirl/With nothing to show, girl" is both an undeniable hook and a downbeat prognosis for its protagonist.