16. OUR TWO SKINS by Gordi

My admiration for Australian singer-songwriters (see Courtney Barnett in Issue 14 of the newsletter) continues with Dr. Sophie Payten, better known as Gordi. Her most recent album has quickly become one of a handful of my favorites from 2020 so far. The vocal and piano track, ‘Aeroplane Bathroom’ is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve come across in a long time. The stripped back nature of this song hints at what the rest of the record is going to sound like. Though there are songs with more layers here, the overall feel of the album is sparse and tender. With the tour that was going to happen in support of Our Two Skins all but postponed until 2021, Dr. Payten decided to strap her stethoscope back on and help her native Australia deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that, along with this album, is impressive.