Going back to Elizabeth Fraser and the Cocteau Twins: Pale Dian clearly shows this influence – but even a little more meta. The variety of soundscapes this quartet generates is almost as broad as This Mortal Coil or even the balance of the 4AD roster more so than just the Twins. That said, one noticeable difference between Ruth Smith and Elizabeth Fraser, Lisa Gerrard, and Louise Rutkowski, in general, is that she sings in English. Actual English words and lyrics. A lot of shoegaze features breathy vocals – on this record Ruth tends to lean toward an understated chest voice and strong falsetto. No belting to get in the way of the music.

Feral Birth features a tasty blend of styles and textures – a couple of older songs: “Emily” and “MeLt” were both released previously but fit comfortably with the rest of the album. The leadoff track “Vacant and Naked” employs a quintessential 4/4 drum machine loop with stresses on the second half of the 3rd and the start of the 4th beat – creating that well-known interior tension that defines so much of shoegaze structure. Ruth shows the aforementioned switch from her chest voice to her falsetto effortlessly – almost like two distinct instruments – to great effect. 

The previously-issued “MeLt” starts like a dreamier and (if you can believe it) more reverb-drenched Khruangbin tune over a one-drop beat before it pauses and then leans into a straight-ahead 16th notes-on-the-hi-hat romp – only to pull back to the intro at the close. From a production point of view, “Misanthrope” is nearly a Cocteau Twins copy with its rifle shot snare drum. Don’t miss the animated music video directed by Austin’s own (and Dazed & Confused alum) Wiley Wiggins.