Penelope Isles – 3
The Wolter siblings return, now as a three-piece, with a handsome and hypnotic third record
After going their separate ways around the world – Jack as a touring guitarist with CMAT; Lily to south-east Asia in search of a recharge – the Wolter siblings return to Penelope Isles with a new full-time member, drummer Joe Taylor, and a palpably renewed sense of purpose. This is evident in the way in which 3 distills the band’s established blueprint down to its essence; pretty, melodic guitar lines, woozy harmonies, and a yearning lyrical style that’s scored through with dry wit.
If there’s a main character on 3, it might be Brighton, with the record scattered with references to their adopted hometown, especially on the charmingly self-referential Bom-Bane's and the sparse, barely-there Embo. Whilst the album’s heady atmosphere is a constant, there’s real variety here, with room for the quietly epic (I Loved You, Robert Pattinson) and the occasional misstep, like the stomp-clap of the experimental pop tune You Think You Got a Way with Dogs. In the main, though, 3 is gorgeously well-crafted, replete with the kind of wistful intimacy that should make it a staple listen for the transitional months into autumn.
Listen to: I Loved You, Robert Pattinson, Bom-Bane's, Thinking Seat