Malka - Anatomy of Sight (Tantrum 
Records/Hen Hoose)
Release Date: Out Now
I'm a couple of weeks post-release with this one I'm afraid but 'Anatomy of Sight', the new album by one-woman Scottish creativity hurricane Malka, is one of those timeless records that you can dip in and out of so I'm hoping to get away with it. The album opens with the woozy and slightly unsettling tones of 'Matriarch' before those trademark, impish vocals join in and the clattering, skittish percussion gets under your skin. Recent single 'What You Get Out' bubbles, bleeps and boings like Feist fronting HENGE for a 6Music special on the impact of Kraftwerk on women in music (that would be a great show by the way, I want credit for that idea).
On 'Flashlight', Malka underpins the sparse melody and beats with an ominous bass drone until the chorus lifts the mood for something altogether more alt-pop influenced. The good vibes are continued on 'Detachment' with a pulsating synth keeping the energy levels up before 'Slipping Away' brings a Human League sound to the party and 'Tramlines' swoons and sways with serenity in the early morning light. 'You Own Us' is a particularly mechanical sounding track that could easily be the first single created by AI without any human input which makes it strangely enthralling.
'Out Of Body' feels like the soundtrack for a film version of a classic computer game with a sense of 8-bit medieval melodies mixed with a dark and brooding tone in the vocals. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be said with a Geordie accent or not but, either way, 'War Coffee' undulates and sways with an off-kilter essence that will sit well with Florence + the Machine fans. The album finishes up with the sprightly spirit of 'Start It All Again' encapsulating the lo-fi electro vibe of the whole record perfectly. I know I've made a few comparisons in this review but I do think Malka is one of the most unique musicians on the British scene which deserves huge amounts of praise and even more attention.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/malkamakesmusic
Live Dates:
4th November - The Waiting Room, London
11th November - The Hug & Pint, Glasgow
17th November - MacArts, Galashiels