Pink Vinyl
Finally available outside of the Boomkat ringfence, Maria Spivak shows up on Ecstatic for a third time with You Win Again, a compact nine song synthesis of dreampop longing and subtle electronic seduction. This one took me straight back to late 00s Canada, split between Junior Boys, Austra and the early Arbutus output, something that her label also hears loud and clear, having namechecked the former's So This Is Goodbye in the press release. The comparison is unavoidable on 'Golden Boy', but there's no shame in that - that record remains a highwater mark of minimal electropop and it's spiriting to see it's not been entirely forgotten by the new gen. Like with those reference points, Spivak displays an alert and supple understanding of pop dynamics, unafraid of a chorus or melody, though also adept enough to shift into downtempo afterhours mode ala HTRK, as on album highlight, 'Broke Down At The Natural History Museum' or the closing title track. Indeed, while the sprightly synthpop flexes are immaculately executed and deserving of a wider set of ears, i'd more than happily take a full album of just Spivak's voice and guitar in full on burned-out shoegaze mode. But then again, it's not often i'd prefer anything else. Spivak wears it all very well.
