8/10

Throughout her tenure as one of the most alluring artists working today, Cate Le Bon has always been one to veer against convention in pursuit of something more ambitious. With a strong and vibrant array of collections throughout her infancy, she reached a pinnacle for herself in 2019 with the release of her fifth studio album 'Reward', a release that brought her international acclaim as well as a Mercury Prize nomination. Now with the spotlight firmly placed upon her, she returns with her sixth full-length 'Pompeii', a record that looks to continue her rich and vibrant direction.

The context behind this new collection lies within the pandemic, just like so many other albums right now. Recorded and written throughout the first wave of lockdowns, 'Pompeii' looks to explore a more self-reflective and fragile side to Le Bon's own glittering persona. While she has always been one to explore raw and intimate emotions within her work, the unnerving time that many of us went through in those initial months has a palpable presence of some of the LP's more atmospheric offerings, leaving us with a release that is one-half introspection and one-half shimmering art-pop.

Nevertheless, Cate Le Bon has weathered the storm of getting too self-indulgent on here and delivers another wonderfully euphoric array of soaring efforts. Her minimalist approach to production has this brilliantly infectious groove running through it as we move effortlessly through 'Pompeii' with a simple and elegant ease.