BLEAKWATER

THERE’S SOMETHING sweetly beguiling about the debut offering from this Wellington altcountry quintet. In part, this is down to the light, clean, vocal harmonies of Catherine Henehan and Hikitia Ropata, best heard on ballads Nowhere Slow and After Tonight. Elsewhere, tea-chest bass, banjo and lap steel rub shoulders with chugging indie bass and electric guitar, and unexpected production decisions add atmosphere. The Last Time I Pray For Your Soul nudges a swampy blues riff into an echoey cave as folkies harmonise around a campfire. A promising start.