Sound Of The Morning [LP], Katy J Pearson, Vinyl

Written and recorded in late 2021 after a self-prescribed period of down time spent walking, going on daily cold water swims and "just chillaxing massively", even the credits on Sound of the Morning Katy J Pearson professes a new thirst for experimentation. Joining Return (2020) producer Ali Chant on desk duties this time was Speedy Wunderground head honcho Dan Carey, who worked on some of the album's grittier tracks. It all makes for a record that's increasingly unafraid to explore life's darker parts, but that does so with an openness that's full of light. As an artist who professes to "always strive for the bittersweetness of things", Sound of the Morning does just that, taking the listener's hand and guiding them through the good and the bad, like the musical equivalent of an arm around the shoulder. "I want people to feel things with my music, but I don't want to cause my listener too much trauma," she notes with a cheeky glint. "Counseling is expensive, so you've got to pick your battles."