Album Review: What a Relief by Katie Gavin

However, outside of latex bodysuits and campy onstage personas, lead-singer Katie Gavin now hopes to continue the band's tradition of complex storytelling on her debut solo project. On the surface, it's possible that What A Relief might be mistaken as an extended collection of MUNA's more stripped-down tracks, but it only takes a brief listen to register that these songs are far more concerned with Gavin's life outside of the spotlight. In fact, it's clear this is a space she's crafted to both reveal the dark spots of her past and, more importantly, to reckon with them.

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Gavin is right at home in the album's genre pastiche, reining in her piercing belt to traverse feathery lightness and gravelly depths with ease. Pop music so often focuses on singers who will push the limits of their range, but it's refreshing to hear an artist explore the intricacies of her instrument without that strain. Gavin luxuriates in playing with the texture and tone of her voice to great effect tapping into strains of Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple and Tracy Chapman, sometimes all in one song, while still sounding distinctly herself.

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MUNA have one of the most distinguished catalogues of their generation, driven forwards by a triptych of essential voices. As a result, Katie Gavin is instantly recognisable - yet on this new solo album, she returns to her roots across a dozen hugely personal, often excoriatingly autobiographical songs. The spartan, low-key intro 'I Want It All' is both an outlier and a palette cleanser; hushed, tender, and true, it's heart-stoppingly personal.

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