<p><span><span>- Solo Career is the solo project of <strong>Annabel Blackman </strong>who also plays in a Sydney band called <strong>Body Type </strong>and works as an architect. Solo Career’s debut EP <em>The Sentimentalist </em>is both a hazy affair and an emotionally clear-eyed collection of six songs, like snapshots of scenes from within intimate relationships, across the past couple of years.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The title track opens the EP with a fun, inviting groove: tape warmed synthesizers and fuzzy wahs which build to the entrance of a very strong, clear female character. Blackman has clever, witty lyrics and a delivery that immediately brings to mind the colder songs of a pre-ambient <strong>Brian Eno</strong>.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>A steamy, fraught narrative continues into the second track, <em>Movie</em>, capturing a couple going through the motions of a failing relationship; searching for what’s wrong, if only halfheartedly. They continue into another evening, falling into frustrating arguments, observed with sad clarity in the line: “<em>But now I come round and I’m ready for a fight / Over a haphazard dinner that you thought was alright too.” </em>The song finishes with the repeated mantra “<em>We look at each other when the other’s not looking”</em>,<em> </em>highlighting the complex layers and possibilities in our relationships that develop over time.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The tension eases into romance with the luscious <em>Imperial Leather </em>where Blackman compares a relationship to the mingling of water with that classic brand of soap. The music has a seductive wonk: soft percussion, gentle flute and a smooth bassline. “<em>Nothing’s gonna get better with water and Imperial Leather” </em>she intones, saddened but then encouraged by a lovely, fanswept electric guitar solo. Personally this is my favourite of the collection, conjuring memories of the bombastic groove of the <strong>Guy Blackman</strong> song <em>Camming For Each Other</em>, the BDSM of <strong>Velvet Underground</strong>’s <em>Venus in Furs</em> and <strong>Prince</strong>’s <em>Purple Rain</em>.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span><em>The Sentimentalist, </em>takes a darker turn with <em>Quiet, </em>which brings the isolated cold of the past year to mind: an insight into an artist in dark times, with stabs of crushed guitar, a droning, monotonous kick and a vacant voice. <em>Renaissance </em>follows, bringing welcome playfulness but without shrugging off the heaviness of the song which preceded it. The fun and emotive shredding of Blackman’s guitar returns to ride the song back to its intro riff, leaving us ready to dance for the EP’s closing number, <em>Sublover</em>,<em> </em>a song that further indulges <em>The Sentimentalist</em>’s penchant for shiny, icy synthesisers, driving rhythm and timely lyrics, dispassionately delivered, like “<em>I’ll stand by your side / I’ll wait on the sidelines / You sublover.”</em> </span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Ben Snaith.</span></span></p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2358890199/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="https://solocareer.bandcamp.com/album/the-sentimentalist">The Sentimentalist by Solo Career</a></iframe>