(Craving Records)

It’s nice, its familiar, its good

Formerly of Leonardo’s Bride and now just plain old Abby Dobson, Ms Dobson’s career is kicking along nicely with the release of her first solo LP. Rise Up opens soft and sweet with the introductory twinkling instrumental Toybox, then gives way for Dobson’s vocals to take centre stage in the swooning You Will Find Your Way. As one might expect, everything here sounds gorgeous. Dobson’s vocals are complemented with mild, folk-oriented arrangements that succeed in supporting the melodies. While tracks like I’m Not Missing You play it fairly safe, songs like Cloud Watching and Whisper Nothing are more exploratory in both vocals and instrumentation, the latter possessing an eeriness reminiscent of Garbage. While not outstanding, this is a solid set of tracks that is a good showcase for Dobson’s talent. This record is further proof that Australia is lucky in possessing a truly potent canon of female artists. (Not you, Australian Idol. Go away.)

MICHAEL PINCOTT

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