8/10

Ever since she first landed on the scene with her brilliant debut album 'All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend' in 2016, AURORA has been one of those rare wonders that has managed to create a sound that splits itself almost perfectly between commercial and outsider appeal. Not since Bjork has an artist been so successful at gaining international acclaim, while remaining vastly experimental and adventurous within her work. And after another quick flurry of exciting offerings these last few years, she returns with her latest studio album 'The Gods We Can Touch', a concept album of sorts that continues that progressive ideal.

The essence of 'The Gods We Can Touch' is that each track has been written in homage to a mythical creature or god in Scandinavian folklore, although that is sort of how it began. But as some of this material first arrived as far back as 2020, the direction and themes of the record has morphed to reflect the times we live in since then, as politics, religion, the pandemic, and underlying horror all make themselves a part of this new collection. Yet despite its difficult subject matter at times, she has still managed to create a wonderfully vivid and explorative release that brims with shimmering confidence from start to finish.

AURORA has always been an impressive name on the circuit for sometime, but this new full-length feels like a different beast all together. There is a comfortable ease to which she writes and performs all of these songs, giving this effortless aesthetic throughout and cementing her as one of the world's most alluring artists.