Nedelle Torrisi’s Advice from Paradise already sounds like a cult classic

Since the breakup of her former group Cryptacize Torrisi has collaborated with a raft of artists, most notably on Sufjan Stevens’ Carrie and Lowell and was part of his touring band. She’s far too talented to be a sidekick however, as the songs of Advice from Paradise make abundantly clear. It’s a terrific pop record that simultaneously breaks your heart and warms it up; despite the heartbreak at its core it somehow manages to sound boundlessly joyous and hopeful.

The opening “Psychic Returns” paints a picture of a failing love affair, with Torrisi intoning “The bridge disappears between us… I could find a new love, but he’ll never love me like you do.” If such sorrowful words lead you to expect gloom and wallowing, actually it’s quite the reverse. Whilst Advice from Paradise is certainly a reflection on the after effects of a love gone wrong, it’s also about the rejuvenation change can bring, that hope springs eternal. “Born to Love You” is wide-eyed with love, the vocal on “Double Horizon” is ecstatic as she croons “Dreaming, reaching out for you” over the chorus.

And Torrisi certainly knows how to write a killer chorus, the R&B infused “Fool Boy” with its refrain “It’s up to you boy, fool boy, no one can save us but you” sounds like a hit single - sultry, resigned and wise beyond its years, not unlike Donna Summer in her pomp.

Given that she nails the intricacies of love throughout the record, it’s no surprise her website also doubles as a dating advice column, indeed the stories here read like letters to an agony aunt at times. “Don't Play Dumb”, featuring Julia Holter on backing vocals, is frustration soundtracked to a calypso rhythm, “Can't Wait” a tale of an impasse, is a dulcet ballad with a 70s’ pop production sheen.

The closing “The Perfect Timing” is devastatingly bittersweet, a song about meeting the right person but at the wrong time, that reaches a closure of sorts with the line “I said what I needed to say." Featuring just voice and piano it sets up the musical blueprint for the eight beautifully reworked versions of the original songs included here.

The sparser instrumentation makes the new takes more reflective in feel but they’re equally rewarding as the originals. “Fool Boy” turns into melancholic exasperation, “Double Horizon” mutates from upbeat funk to a more sombre mood in the vein of Joni Mitchell’s “River” and “Can’t Wait” sounds like chamber music, so ornate is the piano playing.

The alternate versions also reveal how well written these songs are. On the original versions the arrangements are endlessly inventive, mixing piano ballads and funk with atmospheric synths, yet even without such adornment the piano and voice takes are equally infectious and catchy. And whatever the musical setting is her voice sounds wondrous throughout, effortlessly moving from fragility to joy and back again.

Whilst it’s only been three years since Advice from Paradise was first released it already feels like a cult classic, such is the timelessness and universality of the songs. Lyrically poignant - its story is that yes, hearts do get broken but they can be mended again - and musically inventive, it more than merits its deluxe treatment.