Waterbirth

by Laume

Overview

The full-length debut album from Kim Pflaum, aka Laume, 2020's Waterbirth, finds the New Zealand-born songwriter embracing a thoughtfully blissed-out mix of early-'80s-influenced soul, house music, and synth-based pop. It's a sound she first explored under the name Madeira on her 2016 EP Bad Humors, and to some degree before that as a founding member of the indie pop outfit Yumi Zouma. She has also collaborated on similar electronic-oriented projects with artists like Boycrush, Swimgood, Zimmer, and others, all of which worked to inform and broaden the scope of her own music. She brings much of this past experience to bear on Waterbirth, utilizing richly textured analog keyboards, electronic beats, and her own multi-tracked vocals. Part of what makes the record so appealing is Laume's ability to move easily between artful experimentation and more straightforward jams. Cuts like "Darkside," "Spells (Oedipusi)," and "Neglect" display Laume's knack for combining pop hooks with a smooth neon aesthetic that smartly evokes the '80s production style of Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Conversely, on tracks like "Voyeurs" and "Villains," Laume indulges in soft falsetto vocals and shimmering keyboards, a combination that brings to mind the equally nostalgic soundscapes of artists like M83 and Washed Out. There's an intimacy to Waterbirth, with many tracks often sounding like they might have been recorded live first and only later built out with carefully added layers. It's a raw emotionality she carries over to the lyrics, singing about being a lonely teenager on "Shy Kid," detailing her deep insecurities and heartaches on "Darkside," and as on "Best You," learning how to love and care for yourself. She sings, "Can I please have my moment? Build me a cenotaph." Waterbirth is the sound of Laume building her own emotional pop architecture and discovering herself as an artist. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	01/17/2020
Label:	Carpark Records
UPC:	0677517013917
Rank:	157049

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Back of Your Head
2. Darkside
3. Spells (Oedipusi)
4. Neglect
5. Voyeurs
6. Shy Kids

Disc 2

7. Conquest
8. Villains
9. Klara (Bydgoszczy)
10. Best You
11. Are You With Me
12. Everyone I Love Is Sleeping
13. Saints

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Laume   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Rude Jude   Engineer,Mixing,Producer
Bevan Smith   Mastering
Johanna Macdonald   Photography
Kim Pflaum   Composer
K. M. Laume   Design,Composer,Illustrations,Photography,Producer,Engineer