New Music Reviews: Katie Pruitt, Ducks Ltd, and Marika Hackman

The jangly guitar rock of Ducks Ltd are back for their second record. So is the ultra-sincere Atlanta-born singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt. I was in from the ground floor with both of those acts, but I’m only catching up with Marika Hackman with her fourth album.

Ducks Ltd

Harm’s Way

2024, 8/10
Tom McGreevy and Evan Lewis met in the Toronto music scene. They bonded over their love of vintage indie jangle-pop. They recorded their debut album in a Toronto basement during COVID lockdown, working with a drum machine. On their sophomore album they’re free to play with other musicians, like Ratboys’ Julia Steiner.

Ducks Ltd still sound like a polished, modern take on a 1980s Flying Nun band. The fuller, more organic sound just makes the band better. ‘Hollowed Out’ is vibrant, like a particularly energetic 1980s Chills tune, while ‘A Girl, Running’ sounds like The Go-Betweens. The guitar line of ‘Cathedral City’ is supple and energetic, while ‘Deleted Scenes’ is especially jangly.

While the music’s bright and cheerful, the lyrics are often introspective and a little dark. One song has the hook line “Set up to explode like a train full of gasoline”/

There’s enough individuality in the songwriting to suggest that the band have the chance to enjoy a long lifespan. Harm’s Way is another accomplished record, a step forward from their debut.

Katie Pruitt

Mantras

2024, 9/10
Katie Pruitt isn’t a household name, but she’s released two of my favourite albums of the decade. Her debut album Expectations, released in 2020, focused on coming-of-age issues. Pruitt grew up in Atlanta, and was raised Catholic. Pruitt wrote about the tension of growing up LGBTQ in a conservative household. Songs like ‘Normal’ and ‘Expectations’ were open in their portrayal of Pruitt’s experiences.

On her sophomore album Mantras, Pruitt is still unpacking her adolescence. She’s often still processing her Catholic upbringing – the album’s first two singles are titled ‘Blood Related’ and ‘White Lies, White Jesus, and You’.

If you say that Jesus gives you peace of mind
That’s a good enough reason for me
And if it really helps you get some sleep at night
I’d kill for a little of that peace

Katie Pruitt, White Lies, White Jesus, and You

She’s eloquent and thoughtful, never dipping into sentimentality. Her vocals are less central than the debut – more restrained and less dramatic. But her rhythm guitar playing is energetic, giving her thoughtful tunes a shot of energy. Opener ‘All My Friends’ and ‘Worst Case Scenario’ are both driven by Pruitt’s guitar.

She’s also effective when she dials back the intensity. Her questioning of gender stereotypes on ‘Jealous of the Boys’ and her refusal to conform to society’s expectations in ‘Blood Related’ are both highlights.

If songwriting prowess, honesty, and lyrical eloquence were indicators for success, Pruitt could be the world’s biggest star.

Marika Hackman

Big Sigh

2024, 8/10
I’ve never dipped into the world of Hampshire-born alternative singer-songwriter Marika Hackman before. I guess it was only a matter of time, given that I’ve already covered the work of her former girlfriend Amber Bain (of the Japanese House) and current partner Art School Girlfriend.

On her fourth album, Hackman is largely self-contained. She plays most of the instruments, including recorder, drums, and piano. Hackman regarded it as her hardest record to make, taking two years as she grappled with writer’s block.

It gets off to a great start. The instrumental ‘The Ground’ builds in intensity, before it dissolves into static and launches into ‘No Caffeine’. ‘No Caffeine’ deals with the anxiety that Hackman’s experienced since she almost died from a ruptured appendix in her late teens.

It’s diverse, from the piano-based instrumental ‘The Lonely House’ to the 1990s alternative-rock stylings of the title track.

Hackman’s a talented operator – I look forward to digging further into her catalogue.

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