6/10

Ever since she first emerged, Finnish artist ALMA has been seen as a striking example of modern day Scandinavian pop music. While many of her contemporaries fully embrace the rich and glossy direction the genre has pursued in recent years, she has chosen to hone a more euphoric angle that has set her apart from others on the scene in recent years, cemented by her highly-praised 2020 debut LP 'Have U Seen Her?' But now looking to venture further down that explorative route, she returns once again his her eagerly-awaited sophomore album 'Time Machine', a record that brims with confidence throughout.

Taking on the mantra, "if it isn't broken, why fix it?" for this new collection, 'Time Machine' feels like a direct sequel to her formative material rather than a progressive step into something new. Adopting many of the same sweet and tender textures that first emerged with, her newest full-length aims to add another batch of cuts to her glittering repertoire to date without pushing the envelope too seriously. But despite its lack of evolution, she feels far more assured amongst these new efforts, adding a level of brevity to her work that has begun to sneak in over recent years.

From start to finish, 'Time Machine' is a strong and solid listen that will suit her devout fanbase extremely well. It has trouble standing out and delivering something that we haven't heard from her before, but still makes for a fun and lighthearted experience throughout.