ISOBEL CAMPBELL

Bow To Love (Cooking Vinyl)

Working with American husband Chris Szczech as co-producer for the second time in four years, Isobel Campbell documents the pressing concerns of these turbulent times on new album Bow To Love, whispering the questioning lyrics and dressing them in silken light arrangements. Toxic masculinity is touched upon in Everything Falls Apart, with “Everything falls apart / You son of a bitch, quit stepping on my heart…” remarking how profanity uses feminine terms in a derogatory way.

Keep Calm And Carry On directly references Brexit via the line “go back to where you came from”; Take This Poison is an audition for Massive Attack and 4316 is a St Etiennesque number with an autotune tweak on the chorus, cherishing humanity prevailing against the encroachment of AI into our everyday lives. Second Guessing, Dire Straits cover Why Worry and the title track are all streaked with the whimsical folk found in her earlier solo and Belle & Sebastian catalogue. Ultimately, though, Isobel is doing it for the lovers, and Dopamine is a shimmering slow jam which floats above time and space.

words CHRIS SEAL