Astrid Williamson / “Pulse” / One Little Indian

Female singer-songwriter, mid-range voice, employs many instruments and synths in layered arrangements. Lilith Fair-ish, she’s talented, but the sound is nothing new, and nothing stands out (voice is ok, songwriting ok, everything ok...) Voice often airy, ambient sounds & instruments (guitar, piano, harp, ambient synths) often evoke the feeling of being in the woods around dusk. Nothing offensive to the ear, but no real standouts.

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Favorite tracks: 2, 4, 9, 10


1. 3:30 Airy, mystical feel, occasional beat. Various string instruments, synths. Picks up towards the end, then quiets at end.
2. *3:53 Echoey piano, occasional big midtempo synth beat. Bigger sound at end.
3. 3:27 Downtempo, echoey beat, sparse piano, moody dark vocals.
4. *2:53 Mid-ish tempo, tabla-ish drums, harp, more unique sound on this one. Verse is kind of sexy, chorus is a little cheesy, but it’s good.
5. 3:53 Indie rock feel to it in verse especially. Midtempo, guitars, clapping.
6. 5:07 Slow, sparse guitar, piano, whispery vocals. Reminds me of something from “Once”/Marketa Irglova. Pretty, but kinda plain.
7. 4:11 Midtempo, higher vocals, guitar, nondescript song.
8. 3:42 Sparse piano, starts slow, dark. Beat picks up in middle, then slow again. Not bad.
9. *3:12 Large-hall echo on piano, distant vocals, nice sound. Voice sounds like a female Sufjan Stevens. Vocal harmonies at end.
10. *4:25 Slow, piano, pretty vocals, high harmonies. Second half layered instruments, building nicely.

Deniz Cebenoyan