BELLA UNION
Having recovered from the frustrations her 2012 debut bequeathed her, Ren Harvieu returns at last, emboldened by The Magic Numbers’ Romeo Stodart, who co-produces this second album. With its timeless, studied songwriting, Revel In The Drama boasts a cabaret-esque quality, like Nick Cave doing Broadway, its dark side balanced by a twist of mischievousness. Strange Thing’s a string-adorned, endearingly dynamic carnival that barely pauses for breath, and Cruel Disguise’s twanging guitars compete with growling organs to confirm its darkness. Her rich vocal swoops gracefully, sometimes playfully, as on the redemptive Tomorrow’s Girl Today, but more often forlorn, as on the mournful You (Don’t Know Me) and, even more so, on Spirit Me Away, though its doomy Morricone-esque chimes can’t quite dampen her spirits.