Aldous Harding's fifth album, Train on the Island, is a beguiling collection that showcases her skill as a songwriter, despite her divisive persona in the alt-rock scene. The album features lyrics about naked owls, eating rocks, and other enigmatic imagery, which may irk some listeners but fascinates her devoted fans.
Produced by John Parish, the album stays sonically close to her previous works, Warm Chris and Designer, settling into warm, softly psychedelic territory. Tracks like Worms and Coats display Harding's mannered vocal tics and funny accents, while the music is driven by acoustic guitar and piano, with pedal steel and harp adding texture.
The songs are tightly written and compact, with the title track just tipping over five minutes without becoming indulgent. Standout moments include the key-shifting Coats, the duet Venus in the Zinnia, and the hypnotic contrasts in One Stop and San Francisco. Even those who find Harding's oddball approach irksome may be won over by the lovely melodies.
While the lyrics invite interpretation, with lines suggestive of neurodivergence or her relationship with her mother, Harding seems to shrug off analysis with the line: 'I'm only riding that symbol. No one knows what I'm into.' Ultimately, the album works simply as a conduit for beautiful music, regardless of its lyrical mysteries.
