Merpire is the performing name of Melbourne-based solo artist Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt. Her 2021 debut Simulation Ride – released slap bang at the height of the Covid period – sounded like a modern, bedroom-recorded take on the high production sensibilities of ‘90s alternative pop. Now, four years later, that debut is followed by Milk Pool, which transmutes alternative pop into something dreamier and blurrier, without sacrificing hooks and momentum.
It’s a more confident and varied record compared to its predecessor, and within its dayglo pop swirls is a fascinating, painterly approach to the guitar. While the instrument doesn’t take a front seat – this feels like a record written with a whole studio – Atkinson-Howatt’s guitar serves a huge number of textural responsibilities.
