Cate Le Bon Pompeii

wo years on from 2019’s excellent , leftfield-indiepop stalwart Cate Le Bon returns with her bold and playful sixth studio album, . The enigmatic is perhaps Le Bon’s boldest, most expressive record to date. It is full of the woozy, wonky pop aesthetic that the Welsh maestro has perfected, but it is pushed out to further extremes than before and the result is a brilliantly witty album that feels as surreal as it does warm and familiar. Intricate guitar lines sprawl over foggy atmospheres, shimmering synths, simple but addictive basslines, glowing melodies, curious folk stylings and Le Bon’s ever-alluring vocals. The whole record has a playful feel, but it is also bold and full of swagger; a joyous journey of escapism into the visceral imagined world of Cate Le Bon. Having played all the instruments on the record herself (besides the drums and sax) and recorded mostly by herself too, is her most idiosyncratic release yet. It also gives us an insight into the workings of her endless creativity. Full of freedom and improvisation, this feels like a pathless stroll around the inside of her brain. A brilliantly unpredictable, timeless soundscape that feels both otherworldly and familiar, is Le Bon’s finest work to date.