Into the Waves

Into the Waves is an airy sonic confection, floating on soft rhythms and embroidered with shimmering keyboards and laid-back guitars. Knapp’s caressing vocals carry a slight country twang, recalling Olivia Newton-John during her “Have You Never Been Mellow” phase. Her songs have an eerily dreamlike quality, hinting at darker moods beneath their starry-eyed surfaces in the manner of a David Lynch soundtrack. Knapp knows how to turn on her coy charm when she wants to: “In Paper,” ”Evermore," and the title track are indicative of her seductive low-key charisma. She balances sobriety with sensual pleasure (“Glasses High”), contemplates passing time (“Looking into Another Day”), and luxuriates in pure love (“Close to Me”) with a blend of languid innocence and sly wisdom. “Nothing to Lose” almost turns sinister as it broods over mortality. Bill Callahan lends his somberly masculine vocal tones to the wistful “Spiderweb” and “Weeping Willow.” Into the Waves goes deep into Knapp’s private world, with just enough shadows to keep its sunny landscapes interesting.