Amamelia: Bananamelia! (Sunreturn/bandcamp)

It's often useful to come to an artist with little prior knowledge.

And know even less about their struggles, gender issues, TikTok presence and so on. If the music's any good you can get back to all that.

Amamelia is Auckland's Amelia Berry and all Elsewhere had heard was the student radio single Colourbox which hit a special place between minimalist ambience, a languid vocal and subtle electronica.

We missed her 2020 debut album WOW! entirely (and the remix sequel) so come to this second album with few preconceptions.

Which means the humorously glitchy electronica on the whimsically exotic off-kilter dance beats of French Press (with a slightly satirical vocal parodying wispy French singers) jumping into the wonderfully energetic C'est Chic (which repeats the ethos and ya-ya vocal trick) come as a very pleasant discovery.

What is clever here is how these eight, largely instrumental tracks fold back into each other with elements repeated, looped, recalibrated into a different contexts and . . .

It's just smart, self-referential fun, house for around the house and unexpected electronica with a warm melodic heart.

On the emerging Sunreturn label which is delivering very fresh music and artists, and about whom we wrote here.

So now you can go find about her interesting career, struggles, TikTok presence and so on.

You may be, like us, fascinated by it as much as by this thoroughly enjoyable album.

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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here

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