The Thousands

Words like magical, enchanting, and playful get used a lot these days. Unfortunately, they’re often meant to endear you to bands whose work has more twinkling and twee affectation than real emotion.

These words could describe Holly Miranda’s debut – yet DON’T be frightened by this (or the album’s title or artwork…). This isn’t fashionably coy, child-like naivety. Here, magic can be dark, enchantment can be overpowering, and play often ends in tears.

Production by Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio) fleshes out Miranda’s powerful songs in lush, bombastic, cinema style, a suitable accompaniment to her strong, sultry voice. It’s a nice surprise to see her songs are equally strong (and nearly totally different) performed acoustic on Yours Truly.

This is an album rich with varied emotions, some that grab you immediately (‘Waves’), and others that grow on you over time (‘Slow Burn Treason’). And Miranda’s unmistakable talent makes it all look like child’s play.