Invisible Sunday (Remastered 2015)

Minnesota-born Alexandra Hope's bio might play up her onetime residency in Paris, but her debut, Invisible Sunday, is firmly rooted in American indie rock. Yes, there's a sweet breathiness to her voice that sometimes recalls Françoise Hardy, an acknowledged influence, but Hope's brand of catchy folk music skews closer to the agitated goth rock of Shannon Wright or Mary Timony than the pop breeziness of Hardy or father and daughter Gainsbourg. PJ Harvey is another obvious comparison, as Hope's work here with producer/drummer David Muller frequently recalls the primal urgency and stop-start dynamics of Harvey's early work with Steve Albini. Given the quality of the songs, it might be surprising that the duo recorded these songs over the course of three days, but Muller's production preserves the best elements of Hope's voice and her compelling guitar work. The result is swirly, bluesy rock & roll with attitude and touches of folk, country, and chamber pop. Hope isn't the world's finest lyricist to be sure, as awkward rhymes and clumsy word choices abound, but her vocal abilities are consistently impressive, as she goes back and forth between lullaby coos and primal wails. The similarity of Hope's voice and delivery to Shannon Wright and Crowsdell is almost uncanny. Though her social networking website profiles list many influences, Wright wasn't one of them, at least shortly after the release of this album. That's odd; it's almost like Gene not copping to a Smiths influence. Fans of 1990s indie female artists will find much to love, as the lo-fi recording aesthetic at work paints most of these nine songs into that genre. Hope and Muller don't falter much over the album's half-hour running time, as Muller's rolling piano and Hope's edgy, fuzzy guitars and compelling voice showcase Hope as an artist to follow on one's radar.