By Tony Stamp of RNZ

Bright Black Night by Mystery Waitress

This album’s title is an oxymoron that nicely describes the Wellington band’s sound: slightly scuzzy, and frequently gloomy, but no less lovely for it.

Tessa Dillon’s voice brings to mind Mazzy Star and Lana Del Rey, and she has a knack for striking lyrics, like, “I must be a sleeve for you to put your arm through” on In a Shell.

Mixing mellow vocals with churning guitars isn’t new, but the wooziness here feels unique, with emphasis on atmosphere and smoky soundscapes.

It’s an album committed to a particular vision: knotty and intentionally unkempt, the sound of light and dark in perpetual scuffle.

HIRL by Marlin’s Dreaming

Originally formed in Dunedin, Marlin’s Dreaming are a vehicle for the songs of Semisi Ma’ia’i, and since 2017 have released a handful of albums trafficking in crisp, polite indie rock.

Their latest, HIRL, was three years in the making - a more prolonged gestation than prior — and as such is a finely sculpted piece of work. Its title is an onomatopoeia for a gust of wind, which is an apt metaphor for the music, quietly insistent but never gale-force.

They’re nimble songs, but not attention-grabbing. It’s around the third listen that Ma’ia’i’s melodic hooks really sink in, and the band’s careful environments start to feel like comfy spots to linger.

It’s All Downhill From Here by Dateline

Katie Everingham and band are good at a certain type of self-deprecation (as per this album’s title), which was expertly deployed on the single Be Good, a fantastic slice of power pop. It turns out the LP is stuffed with similar gems.

Everingham writes gymnastic melodies, and can deliver lines like “please knock me out’ with a wink (in a song that seems to be about wanting to go back to sleep).

Captured at Vogelmorn Hall in Wellington, with The Beths’ Jonathan Pearce on recording and mixing duty, there’s some lyrical bite, and occasional sincerity, as well as plenty of joy.

Doggerland by Office Dog

Office Dog are led by songwriter Kane Strang, who hit pause on a solo career to embrace the more spontaneous approach of a band. Their first album Spiel was favourably reviewed by international outlets like Mojo and Uncut, and in advance of an American tour, they’ve released a new EP.

The volume is turned down slightly here, but the songs still master the trick of sounding in-the-moment while carefully thought out, balancing discord with pop smarts.

A wider range is also evident, with Can’t Wait sounding like a wistful waltz, and Intact like a friendlier Bailter Space. A forthcoming full-length is great news.

Kōwhai by Sophie Burbery

This ambient album’s five tracks traverse “the anatomy and physiology of the kōwhai including the roots, stem, leaves, flower and environment”.

There’s a link here to prior instrumental albums with an ecological angle, most obviously Mort Garson’s Plantasia, but Burbery has clearly put a huge amount of thought put into these compositions, and how they relate to a pointedly native plant.

Part of the enjoyment, aside from relishing the soothing sounds, is thinking about how each maps to its subject: you may find images of birds, nectar, or pollen forming in your mind.

Tony Stamp reviews the latest album releases every week on The Sampler.

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