Recover

If The Naked and Famous’s 2016 album, <i>Simple Forms</i>, documented the emotional fallout following the breakup of vocalist Alisa Xayalith and guitarist Thom Powers, then <i>Recover</i> takes an optimistic look at life after the clouds have cleared. You can hear it in the buoyant indie pop of “Sunseeker”, inspired by Xayalith’s dog Ginger, while the uplifting “Come As You Are” boasts a gorgeous vocal melody as Xayalith sings, “Embrace it, you’re somebody’s favourite.” There is, however, a darker side to the record, with the quietly reflective “An(aesthetic)” charting Powers’ near-death experience after falling ill with sepsis, and “The Sound of My Voice” (co-written with Frightened Rabbit’s late frontman Scott Hutchison) was inspired by Powers’ issues with depression. Even in such moments, however, there is light at the end of the tunnel, with Xayalith singing, “Follow the sound of my voice, come back to me.”