Wild Things

Recording information: Studio America.
After breaking through with her 2012 album Anxiety, which melded electronic pop sheen with '90 alt-rock crunch and spawned the ubiquitous hit "Blue Eyes," Ladyhawke's next album presented her with a challenge. Pip Brown initially wrote and began recording a batch of darker, more personal songs, but soon decided they didn't really reflect her state of mind. She ditched the recordings and went back with producer Tommy English to try again. Arriving in 2016, Wild Things is the result and it is certainly very sunny and very poppy. It forgoes most of the guitar-driven electro crunch of Anxiety in favor of a modern pop sound built around slick synths and big choruses. Mixing fun uptempo tracks like "Money to Burn" and "The River," which harks back to "Blues Eyes," with more reflective ballads ("Hillside Avenue," the title track) that show the influence of Chvrches, the album sounds made for the radio. ~ Tim Sendra