On her sophomore album there’s a subtlety to Ribeiro’s music that finds form in both her voice and the sonic qualities of the songs. She shares a deadpan singing style with Courtney Barnett but it contains darker shades of sensuality, folksiness and coyness with ethereal qualities that at different times bring to mind Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star and PJ Harvey. Musically she draws from alt. country, gothic folk, slowcore and a gentle and swampy post-punk vibe in the vein of the Bad Seeds (the album was recorded in collaboration with Mick Harvey).

‘Rivers On Fire’ is a standout moment built on a cyclical guitar riff and repetitive incantations of the song title. As it builds, a saxophone sidles up and adds to the groundswell of smouldering tension. Before long it’s sounding like a direct descendant of The Stooges’ song ‘Funhouse’, dislocated and freeform. The flip-side is the single and title track which trades disorientation for swaying melody. The subject matter is still of the dark variety but it is coated in beautiful sweet glow. ‘If You Were A Kelpie’ sits somewhere between, mixing alt.country twang with grinding bass and a dirty 70s rock n roll groove at half-speed.

Ribeiro has created an all encompassing mood on Kill It Yourself. It drifts on a dreamy plane, heavy-lidded at times, quietly strident at others. It’s a rewarding shift from the country sound of previous releases but above all it’s an excellent example of graceful and mature songwriting.

Chris Familton

this review was first published on FasterLouder