London foursome Woman’s Hour was formed by two siblings and two friends in 2011, but the band didn’t launch in earnest until last year. Cribbing their name from a popular, long-running BBC radio show focused on women’s issues and interests, the band worked intensely with producer Tom Murray on honing their aesthetic—clean lines, no color, arty pretensions—synthesizing much of the last half-decade’s developments in dreamy, simply melodic pop music. Many of the band’s readily identifiable influences are fellow Brits: the grayscale glamour of Bat for Lashes, Jessie Ware’s cool, mannered tone, and the minimal romanticism of the xx all snake their way through Conversations, Woman’s Hour’s debut. The results are erudite, slim dream-pop, made distinct in its best moments by an open-hearted sweetness and innocence.
The purest expression of Woman's Hour sound is Conversations’ title track, a song that revels in bookish charm and a yearning, endearing performance from lead singer Fiona Burgess. Burgess sings about “awkward moments of strange affection,” exactly the sort of moments this music could ably soundtrack; the subject matter and sound lends itself well to library-set fantasies, with romantic pairs whispering through stacks of books. There’s a tightness to the band’s ensemble that enables the cultivation of a careful, genuine intimacy.
The work of Beach House hangs over much of Conversations, from Burgess’s vocal tone to the clear, luminous sound of the album’s arrangement. The slowly blooming keyboard that cracks open "Our Love Has No Rhythm" is instantly reminiscent of songs like "Gila" and "Heart of Chambers". Beyond issues with overfamiliarity, much of Conversations falls victim to a lack of consistency and individuality. The band has no trouble putting together pleasant melodies, but those melodies more often than not scan as ephemeral.
Woman's Hour's readily identifiable influences also prove a hindrance; for new groups, being tagged as formulaic isn't necessarily a bad thing, but truly great bands transcend that label by carving out a niche for themselves. Woman's Hour's formula helps listeners find their footing, but it also makes it more difficult for the band to establish their own voice. The best songs on Conversations point to a viable middle ground where earnest delicacy and shadowy tones co-exist, but the band has yet to fully explore that realm.
