Azure Wonder & Lust

Album Review

Azure Wonder & Lust is an enchanting multi-textured album blending funky percussive samples, ambient sounds, guitar pyrotechnics, and orchestral arrangements into folky neo-pop songs. Similar to Tori Amos, Dido, and Kate Bush in style and execution, Farrington's voice soars through astute observations of the human condition with deep spiritual convictions amid the many sound collages. The Middle Eastern/African influences on this collection are abundant, especially on the opening cut, "Magic," a track that employs a deft mixture of polyrythmic drum loops, legato melodies, and spoken-word vignettes. I Might Not Be Here," another highlight, bursts out with a dub bassline bubbling underneath a swirling string arrangement and angelic falsetto vocal calisthenics. The most infectious cut on this disc is "Let the World Go Away," which opens with a rap and gradually develops into a melodic tour de force in the chorus before breaking into a clever 12-string guitar solo during the third verse. Farrington and her producer/co-songwriter Anthony Resta have created a complex and intriguing album that is enjoyable upon fist listen. Considering the scope of this project, that's a laudable accomplishment for a debut album.