8/10

When Bristolian singer and songwriter Katy J Pearson first arrived on the scene with her breakthrough debut LP 'Return' in 2020, most of her fans and listening public thought they had her figured out. Harking back to the sweeping and soaring ambitions of acts like Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks, she kept herself close to the country and trad-folk inspirations that cemented her in her earliest years. But she never planned to pigeonhole herself within any specific guise, and so returns with her eagerly-awaited sophomore album 'Sound Of The Morning', a record that sees her branch out into more unknown territory.

Collaborating with visionary producer Dan Carey, 'Sound Of The Morning' sees her bring her rich and enigmatic direction to a broader and more inventive light. Having spent the last few years intertwining herself with modern indie royalty like Orlando Weeks and Yard Act, she has clearly picked up some fascinating ideas and delivered a brilliantly diverse new offering. Seeing her incorporate a more progressive and adventurous agenda throughout her newest full-length, we see her explore a fresh multitude of new aesthetics that aid in bringing her light and euphoric voice to an exciting new world.

While 'Return' served as a shining light of hope within the pandemic, 'Sound Of The Morning' is almost the feeling of that yearning to break free realised in full. Unleashed from the shackles of both her formative approach and COVID lockdowns, she sounds so much more at ease within herself this time around, leading to an incredibly absorbing listen.