Would You Stay

You may have discovered Steffaloo—a.k.a. L.A.-based singer/songwriter Steph Thompson—by way of British electronic artist Stumbleine, with whom Steffaloo recorded a gorgeous, shimmering cover of Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You." Her solo work is just as beautiful. Would You Stay, her second album, is as fragile as thinning pond ice and sometimes as chilling. The whoosh of breaking waves under Thompson's whispered lyrics and faintly plucked ukulele on "So I'll Go" give the tune a decidedly wintery, isolated feel; this is no sunny day at the beach. On "Lonely Night," Thompson's vocals touch into blues territory, her gently double-tracked voice flowing over the muffled patter of a rainstorm and her spare, resigned acoustic guitar notes. Several songs feature added instrumentation—keyboards, marimba, strings—but the touch is always light as air. "If You Were My Baby" bops along on cottony guitar strums atop snare hits and cymbal brushes you almost don't notice. From the appealing, faint samba vibe of the opening "Would You Stay" to the mournful ambience of "Rainy Fingers" and the electronic, fragile beauty of "My Heart Beats," Would You Stay is a surprising and touching experience.