Sophia Knapp

Into the WavesDrag City ***

If you think Lana Del Rey is a figment of the imagination, try out Sophia Knapp – she's got less of an online profile and hasn't messed with anyone's preconceptions. She even has hints of Julee Cruise, as she delivers the Twin Peaks aesthetic of queasy underbelly mixed with off-kilter surreal. The Haight-Ashbury denizen has previous form with cult US act Cliffie Swan, and on this, her debut solo album (funded by friends and supporters), Knapp avoids being pigeonholed by tipping her hat to influences (Stevie Nicks, Carly Simon, Françoise Hardy) without being bound by them. There are no killer punches here, but that's okay. Rather, wallow in a series of gentle cuffs to the spirit via songs (and occasional co-vocals by Bill Callahan) as finely executed as Nothing to Lose, Spiderweb, Weeping Willow and Evermore. sophiaknapp.com

Download tracks:Glasses High, Nothing to Lose, Weeping Willow