On her third album Blood to Bone, New Zealand pop singer/songwriter Gin Wigmore decides to go all-in on an extreme makeover, transitioning from the vaguely rootsy rocker of her 2009 debut Holy Smoke -- an album recorded with Ryan Adams' Cardinals in tow -- into a hybrid of Lorde's artful darkness and Amy Winehouse's soulful diva. Wigmore's chops as a singer sometimes puncture the noir atmosphere, meaning Blood to Bone isn't quite as unsettling as it often intends to be, but the album is made interesting by her pop instincts, which provide shape to "Holding on to Hell," a dark pulse for "DFU," and majesty to "Nothing to No One." Moments like these are the anchor for the slow, churning moodiness of Blood to Bone, and they're enough to keep it intriguing as an overall record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Professional Reviews
Paste (magazine) - "[I]t's a recording you'll want to spin for a few stand-out tracks, especially lead single 'Written in the Water,' which was a natural choice to champion as her new signature tune. This is a spectacularly catchy, propulsive, driving song..."
