Hannah is a wonderfully life-affirming fourth outing for Lomelda

Opening with a trundling piano that builds into a buzzing swarm of strings and guitars, each element of, “Kisses” is played so meticulously, it is as if the strings are being tickled by a feather. This attention to delicacy and being able to balance it with beautiful, wide open vistas, is what makes Hannah so wonderfully life-affirming.

As “Kisses” ends, Lomelda holds a note that, perhaps for the first time, really showcases her impressive vocal skills, as the instrumentals swill around, displaying some of the most immaculate production in recent memory. On, “Polyurethane” and “Big Shot”, which could have featured on last year’s just as exquisite M, there is the same gentle articulation of the soul, with pianos and vocals that just exude warmth and tenderness.

In contrast, “Reach” is one of Lomelda’s heavier works, with drums that feel as if they may come crashing through the floor and guitar riffs that evoke similar scenes to Big Thief’s “Not”. On, “Tommy Dread”, heart-wrenching instrumentals lift the repetitive, but nevertheless enigmatic, chorus before sliding into a feverish display of strings that make you feel as if you are running towards something that keeps slipping away. Likewise: on “It’s Lomelda” the rise and falls in the mix are breathtaking; constantly plummeting before coming up for air.

There are moments of endearing, lo-fi experimentation (“Sing for Stranger” and “Stranger Sat By Me”) and inspiring encouragements on lead single, “Wonder”. However, the album’s most dazzling moments lie within the title tracks. “Hannah Sun” plays with the listener’s expectations, bringing in slithers of playful synths, demonstrating Lomelda’s willingness to use every tool at her disposal. On “Hannah Happiest” there is an essence of road-trip like ambition, with lyrics reading, “asked you if you knew who I was / you said Hannah”, implying a desire to see herself outside her own body.

“Hannah Please” closes the record, executed in a comfortingly, modest fashion. It is a perfect ending to an album by an artist who doesn’t feel the need to let her songs stick around for more than she feels fit. She possesses a rare aptitude for packing in the same amount of emotional clarity into songs that last five minutes, as well as songs that barely meet the minute mark. It is the sign of an artist whose being is overflowing - completely bursting with life.