Ámaris
26
(Puma Punku Records)

Dutch-Swiss-New Guinean science fiction author, producer, and actress Ámaris Wen has released her new album 26 in conjunction with the short film “Supernova,” and her new novel. Though she has released four albums since 2014, this fifth is the first time Ámaris is releasing a book, record and will be featured in a short film all at the same time.

The simple, “Jelly,” opens. There’s some nice percussion, sweet harmonies, cool keys slipping through but Amaris’ lead vocals are limited and don’t really deliver for a song that is light on production to begin with. If you are going to go that bare I’d say there needs to be something more there.

The breathy keys and tight little drum machine of the languid “Diamond,” fits a little better with Amaris’ talk-warble. In this one, she’s emoting quite a bit of disappointment and it comes across in the claustrophobic nature of this tune. Equally, I like the keyboard wash of “I Need You,” with the circling-the-airport vocalizing getting us into a plunky tight beat of a song of deep pleading.

Suddenly we get some actual well-sung vocals on a later tune, “Thankful.” I think what’s happening with his one is that Ámaris is working around her lower range, letting the lyrics spread out, and it is very effective for her voice.

“Blurred” ends, with its burpy synth sounds, slight swaying beat and solid enough vocals from Ámaris mining some Laurie Anderson.

26 might be uneven in some of its delivery but it is certainly interesting.