With each new album, Lydia Ainsworth's music slightly but noticeably changes its shape. Her fourth album, Sparkles Debris, moves closer to the pop accessibility amplified on 2019's Phantom Forest, but almost sounds like the work of a completely different artist when compared to her earliest and far more experimental output. The newest step in Ainsworth's ongoing shift toward pop is her embrace of live instrumentation and a warmer, more organic production style. Where Phantom Forest found her shedding some of her experimental leanings in favor of melodic hooks and conventional song structures, the changes here take the form of sample-heavy synth pop with hints of '90s R&B influences. While opening track "Parade" still builds on a foundation of huge kick-drum samples and sharp-edged synth bass, airy guitar leads and the occasional showy drum fill make the album sound more lived-in and open than her earlier efforts. Songs like "Forever," "Cake," and "Queen of Darkness" find Ainsworth's yearning, nearly anthemic vocals supported by friendly, personality-filled live band arrangements. The R&B undercurrents that surfaced on Phantom Forest continue on Sparkles Debris, but also turn away from synth pop in favor of something less rigid and robotic. The bumpy beat and winding vocal melodies of "Cosmic Dust" are clearly inspired by Timbaland and Aaliyah's collaborative spark, and the huge chorus and gentle touches of piano and acoustic guitar are borrowed from TLC's production playbook. There's even an unexpected cover of Chic's "Good Times" that slows the original's tempo and wraps the song in Ainsworth's patented chilly atmospherics. While still a far cry from mainstream pop, the immediacy of the songwriting and colorful arrangements make Sparkles Debris the most straightforward chapter in the evolution of Ainsworth's pop vision. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi

1		Parade
2		Forever
3		Cosmic Dust
4		Sparkles & Debris
5		Cake
6		Halo of Fire
7		Good Times
8		Love Charm
9		Amaryllis
10		Queen of Darkness
11		All I Am

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