POPPY ACKROYD

Resolve 7/10

Though Resolve revolves around her piano, with accompanying woodwind and strings, Ackroyd’s third album indicates a desire to broaden ‘new classical’’s horizons. The brooding “The Calm Before” is lightened by the unconventional, percussive patter of sampled clarinet keys as much as ticklish piano lines, and the brief “Stems” utilises the playful ping of wine glasses. Admittedly “The Dream” points, like earlier albums, towards Nils Frahm, and there are hints of Ólafur Arnalds in “Luna”, while on “Light” she employs her instrument’s frame – as grandbrothers and hauschka do – for rhythmic purposes. Nonetheless, enriched instrumentation and subtle electronic flourishes make this Ackroyd’s most rewarding collection.