Description
Our Two Skins, the latest album from Sophie Payten – professionally known as Gordi – begins with a bit of catharsis. “Aeroplane Bathroom” was written on a flight from her native Australia to Europe. She had a lot on our mind, recently completing her medical doctorate studies, ending a long-term relationship, and leaving a country that was embroiled in a same-sex marriage referendum.
Our Two Skins is about discovery, finding one’s true self, and making peace with it. But while opening track “Aeroplane Bathroom” employs a stark, sparse arrangement, much of the album has more of an indie-pop feel. “Folktronica” is a term that’s tossed around a lot when describing Gordi’s music, but it fits here. Recorded in Gordi’s remote Australian hometown of Canowindra, she’s joined by Chris Messina and Zach Hanson, whose combined resumes include Bon Iver, Bruce Hornsby, Tallest Man, Big Red Machine and Waxahatchee. A curious combination of tenderness, edge, and pop smarts are infused into Our Two Skins, Gordi’s first full-length album since 2017’s Reservoir.
