Verdict: Pithy character studies
Rating:
The start of a new year is traditionally the time to pinpoint pop s up-and-coming names. And despite a pandemic that has wreaked havoc with the touring circuit and club scene, fresh voices are still making themselves heard, with live streams and new albums.
One rising star to watch is Los Angeles singer-songwriter Pearl Charles, whose second album, Magic Mirror, is a feelgood stroll through some classic American styles, including country-soul, 1960s pop and 1970s rock. Out today on independent label Kanine, it s a record to banish the blues.
Charles, 29, isn t a complete newcomer. The former music student cut her teeth with LA country duo The Driftwood Singers and drummed with garage-rock band The Blank Tapes before turning solo in 2012. She has since toured with Father John Misty and Best Coast, anchoring her music firmly in American indie rock.