Kimya Dawson has been rather busy since the The Moldy Peaches’ self-imposed hiatus seven years ago. Releasing several solo albums with a distinct lo-fi flavour, and perhaps, most famously, contributing to the Juno soundtrack.

Dawson’s latest, Thunder Thighs, the follow up to Alphabutt – which included titles such as Pee Pee In The Potty – is sure to be an eccentric affair. All I Could Do opens the record with yearning, distant keys, while you get the feeling that Dawson is reminiscing in a child like state while staring out of the window. It then begins to get a bit weird. The Mare And The Bear features Dawson and the voice of a very young girl jumping in whenever she feels like it. Dawson, meanwhile, talks through the story in her rambling vocal style. There is a splattering of innocence this record, with the use of children and her apparent disdain for the typical song-writing template.

What follows is a long list of tracks featuring storytelling, which are, at times, interesting and exhibit an ear catching use of interplay between her enigmatic guitar and piano. This gives an intimate feel, transporting you to a park on a sunny day, with nothing but Kimya, a guitar and a couple of picnic items for percussion.

Thunder Thighs is best suited to run alongside a visual narrative, as, stood alone, it’s just not enough to maintain your attention. But, for all that, its strangeness and jumbled up messiness is what makes it, in the right circumstances, occasionally adorable.

-Gavin Bevan-