Tara Clerkin Trio - s/t

She's back again (and, really, never should have been away). Unquestionably, one of THE great debuts to have been released in the shop's lifetime, and rightfully so, a lot has happened for the group since its release back in 2020, the two EPs World of Echo issued chief amongst them, though it's clear they were on to something very well realised from day one. TCT first offered here what has now become trademark, a gentle hearted experimentalism, shuffling almost-jazz drums, creaking keys, the odd melodica, and electronic abstractions structured around Clerkin's hypnotic vocal. It's woozy and disorientating in its oddness, but there's also a kind of wonky pop sensibility at its heart, a little like Julia Holter's Loud City Song, Broadcast or even the lesser celebrated sounds of R. Elizabeth. 'In The Room' is so unhurried and effortless, you could easily convince me it was the work of a much more storied band, while the closing one-two of 'Any of Those'/'There Will Be Time' made me think of 'O Superman', for which there can be no higher praise. But more than anything, this is distinctly modern, the kind of music you'd only imagine young people to be making in 2020 if the future had turned out the way it was meant to be. Generous and welcoming, but explorative too. There's not many things you can make that claim of right now and this still endures as a very special discovery.