Lucy Gooch - “Rain’s Break"

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 5

Pairs Well With…Bjork, Holly Herndon, ANOHNI

Slow, ambient pop is Lucy Gooch’s canvas, a sonic experimenter breaking conventional song-forms and performing with ethereal beauty. Waves of sound envelop and regress throughout her sophomore EP Rain’s Break, a delicate piece of music that rises and falls in subtly tight control. There’s spiritual resonance to the way Gooch uses repeated phrases, both lyrically and sonically, like the sounds of an ancient pipe organ translated to down-tempo electro-pop. While spread out and patient, the British artist still finds a way to keep her musical messages relatively brief; Rain’s Break feels complete and satisfying under a twenty-minute runtime. (Kevin McStravick)