CARLA DAL FORNO Schallplatten & CDs

Review: In her solo work, cult Melbourne musician Carla Del Forno has previously shown an aptitude for blurring the boundaries between slow-motion new wave, lo-fi immersive pop, outsider indie haziness, "dub damaged" dreaminess, trippy ambient soundscapes and the kind of krautrock-influenced bliss once perfected by Broadcast. Now based in the Australian bush, Del Forno has built on this distinctive, hard-to-pigeonhole sound on her latest album, which also mines the more laidback end of post-punk pop for inspiration. It's a tricky album to accurately describe, all told, but one blessed with a distinctive feel and sound - one reflective of her relative isolation, love of insomnia-fuelled late night recording sessions and the uniquely sweet but weary sonics of her voice. Like her previous albums, 'Come Around' is a triumph.

Review: Over the course of her three year solo career, London-based Australian Carla Dal Forno has steadily moved from a dark, stylish and bleak all-electronic sound to something a little warmer and more organic in tone. On "Look Up Sharp", her third album, she continues this trend, complimenting her usual lo-fi drum machines and synths with low-slung post-punk bass and the kind of pastoral, traditional instrumentation more often associated with folk music (think flutes, recorders, clarinet etc.). It's a curious blend, but one that works wonderfully well throughout the album, and especially on those songs to which she adds evocative, often melancholic vocals.