Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Thelma Plum, Warner Music Australia 2019.
This album is Thelma Plum’s debut release and it’s been two years in the making.
It was recorded in various locations from New York and London to Sydney with Thelma’s key collaborator and producer Alex Burnett.
I really like the album. It’s a showcase of Thelma’s extraordinary songwriting as well as her vocal talents and her ability to move between many differing musical styles.
There are so many great tracks that I envisage most of the album being released as singles.
The sparse but anthemic Don’t Let A Good Girl Down is a sure-fire hit, Not Angry Anymore builds from a simple solo instrument to a multi-layered and catchy pop song while the minimalist Do You Ever Get So Sad You Can’t Breathe is an absolute stand-out.
Thelma’s songwriting is intensely personal and often brutally honest. She doesn’t pull her punches and her targets, such as in the track Woke Blokes, must feel somewhat bruised but mostly her principle target is herself as she engages in bleak self-reflection.
There are some moments of lightness in tracks like Nick Cave but even then the subject matter is about an ex-boyfriend’s new love. However, don’t get the impression that the album should come with a mental health warning. It’s immensely enjoyable because the writing is so good.
The critics have been effusive in their praise. The Guardian said “Plum is a refreshingly straightforward lyricist. The songs on Better In Blak are direct, raw, and often funny.”
The Herald Sun commented that “Plum’s debut album is stunning -smart, heartfelt, catchy pop.”
Thelma Plum’s debut album is one of the most polished introductions that I’ve listened to in a long time and presages the beginning of what should be a long and successful career in a fickle industry.
There’s a lot of talented young singer/songwriters out there but few with the lyrical gifts of Thelma Plum.
