It is quite easy to label an artist solely based on their last-released effort and expect such an artist to create a follow-up that is more or less in the same vein. Yet, a real artist is never standing still, moving forward (sideways, or backward even), sometimes with big, differing leaps, or even minute ones that still make a qualitative difference.
Seattle musician/songwriter Abbey Blackwell is known to some primarily as a bassist for bands like Alvvays, Haley Heynderickx, and Cassandra Jenkins, while some might have caught her previous solo effort My Maze from 2023.
Now Blackwell is back with another album Big Big Motion, that in many ways takes a few steps elsewhere from the ethereal intimacy of the previous album. No, Blackwell doesn’t completely abandon that ethereal element here (‘Lost It’) but does move elsewhere – from the touches of the cosmic side of krautrock (‘Wind Watching’) to your prime indie rock (‘Less Breath’).
The focus is on Blackwell’s ever-developing songwriting, guitar, and vocals, but the support she gets from Ronan Delisle (electric guitar), Evan Woodle (drums), and Stephen Moore (keyboards) actually takes that ‘intimate’ element to another level.
Big Bib Motion turns out to be quite a fitting title for this album which brings along music that evolves with every new listen.
