mushy: breathless

On 'Breathless' Italian artist Mushy takes the blueprint laid down on her debut 'Faded Heart' and blows it up to an analogue hd, a deep, evocative and immersive listening experience that cocoons the listener in sensory loss and ecstasy simultaneously. On 'Breathless' there's a sharper focus on the sound and textures of her craft. Legendary 4AD artists A R Kane feature on her single "My Life So Far", and indeed it's that label and much of the satellite work in the mid 80s that most informs 'Breathless.' While more understated than the likes of Liz Fraser or Zola Jesus, Mushy's vocals are ghostly, expressionistic and suggestive of a netherland just beyond the realms of dream. On tracks like opener 'To Be Lost' there's a mournful, glacial shift of swooping synths and bass emphasising the lyrics' drift. The singular atmosphere pervades the whole record, never letting go, and on tracks like 'Night Dress' it descends into a darker, lurking place rich in imagery. Elsewhere the precise snap of vintage electronics pushes and pull the listener into a hypnotised state that far surpasses Mushy's previous work.