AMBER ARCADES
BAREFOOT ON DIAMOND ROAD
FIRE
★★★★
Previously a human rights lawyer, Dutch singer-songwriter Annelotte De Graaf had doubts about music after previous album, the sumptuous European Heartbreak, vanished in 2018. Thankfully persevering, she switches things up for her alias’ third LP. In place of past opulence, the singer – with co-producer Ben Greenberg – crafts acoustic dreamscapes. It holds together thanks to De Graaf’s wistful voice, pulling the melodies to the fore. A fascinating heartbreak album that manages to echo Dusty Springfield among the sinister atmospherics.