A very personal debut album from Brendan Rice aka Gus Dapperton. A glistening pop effort, Where Polly People Go To Read is a mishmosh of musical influences presented in a surprisingly organized manner; you'll hear everything from '60s soft rock to alternative R&B, indie, and of course synth pop, as Dapperton lays out the internal highs and lows of his life over fun, light-hearted production. His intent is clear from the album opener "Verdigris," a standout slow-burn number with an earworm hook & melody, and "Coax & Botany" is a simple, pared-down record that showcases a little bit of the more aggressive vocals from Dapperton. "Eyes for Ellis" picks up the tempo while maintaining the shimmery, bitter-sweet tone, and "Roadhead," with its opaque chorus & synth work, is another standout.

• printed insert
• music label: Gus Dapperton 2019

reviewed by singing in japanese 08/19