Sunday ACL Fest Record Reviews
Basia Bulat
Good Advice (Secret City)
Reviewed by Libby Webster, Fri., Sept. 30, 2016
"What am I living in the name of?" wonders Basia Bulat, the melodrama of the sentiment evaporating when paired with a buoyant, organ-driven score. Falling on the quirk spectrum between Florence + the Machine and Feist, the Canadian's fourth album plows into radio-friendly territory, a pop triumph. Good Advice opens with bouncy "La La Lie" and chugs polished iridescence throughout, particularly on "Fool." Bulat's pipes and songwriting prowess flourish, more than in her prior folksy, singer-songwriter LPs. Even hovering, slower closing cuts "The Garden" and "Someday Soon" retain invigoration. (2pm, BMI stage; Weekend One only)