Louise Burns

Louise Burns already has a wealth of experience in the world of pop rock, having cut her teeth playing bass for Lillix and the Blue Violets. Now that she's taken centre stage, Burns has expanded her stylistic palate while sticking to the guitar pop sound she knows best. Mellow Drama covers a wide cross-section of genres, ranging from shoegaze-y fuzz rock ("Paper Cup") to bare-bones acoustic folk ("Island Vacation") to '50s-infused girl group pop ("What Do You Wanna Do"). Best of the bunch is "Burning Bridges," an insanely catchy country rocker that mixes slide licks with watery guitar effects and Burns's affecting deep croon. This 12-track collection relies heavily on its influences, but that doesn't mean it lacks personality. With songwriting this strong, it's remarkable that Burns took this long to branch out on her own.