In less than two years since writing her first song, Tori Forsyth signed to Universal Music here in Australia and has more than lived up to expectations on her Shane Nicholson-produced debut album.

Forsyth inhabits the corner of Americana music where pop pacing and high-rise melodies nuzzle up to shuffling country rhythms and darker gothic-tinged folk music. It’s modernist music that doesn’t attempt to replicate old-timey sounds, instead it blends styles to complement Forsyth’s lilting, relaxed and emotive voice and her songwriting ability that belies the relatively short time she’s been working at her craft.

There are shades of the laidback, rhythmic tones of Nikki Lane in the more country moments of ‘War Zone’ and ‘Redemption’, 70s pop/rock era Stevie Nicks on ‘In The Morning’ and she recalls Lindi Ortega on the soulful depth of songs such as ‘White Noise’. On ‘Hell’s Lullaby’ she also shares the requisite ache and yearning vocal quality of another local voice in Katie Brianna. 

The standout features of Dawn Of The Dark are what should be its cross-audience appeal and the consistency of songwriting on this accomplished debut.

Chris Familton