runo plum – patching

runo plum’s intimate debut holds tracks that feel like diary entry excerpts recited in autumn woods. Opener Sickness sees her grapple with health anxiety against droning earthy chords. She confides in us, calling herself out for pretences of control: ‘I charade a show for myself / Ultimately, acting’. Woodsy Big Thief-esque guitars on Lemon Garland compete to be heard as we rush through sunny memories rooted in nature. It begins an illusion of tranquillity, quickly unearthing buried anxieties, loneliness and heartbreak.

plum mixes ruminative lyrics with the direct. On Elephant, wandering guitars imitate her immediate question: 'Shall I keep dancing around the elephant in the room / To make it easier for you?' On a track of the same name she begs a new lover to Be Gentle With Me, which is ironically the angriest song here, plum enraged through scattered drums. A few quietly contemplative tracks rely on similar chord progressions but allow us to focus on plum’s lyrics. On Gathering the Pieces she tries to understand her emotions; 'Time to get patching / It seems that I came up short'. True to its name, the album is a patchwork that reflects the non-linear road to healing.

Listen to: Be Gentle With Me, Elephant, Sickness