This is not the first ambient experimental female-sung folk opus under the sun. Far from it. Countless albums have played on the intrinsic – yet often overstated – eeriness of the genre since the mid-noughties’ folk renaissance. However few musicians succeed in renewing a somewhat tired genre as stunningly as Jazmine Rose Phillips aka Him‘s ‘Kangaroo Dreaming’.

Without resorting to cheap contrast, Phillips marries the moving lightness of acoustic guitar with the imposing sternness of its electric counterpart.

Her haunting voice and evocative lyrics lead the listener through a forest of disenchanted dreams. It is a bit like Judy Collins lost in the Waitakere ranges with a Fender and an amp as sole companions.

The EP is also served by a beautiful production in that it constantly oscillates between power and frailty, without sounding like it doesn’t know what it is doing.

This is a beautiful and strong album which stays with the listener for a long precious time.