“Big Sigh” is not only the name of Marika Hackman’s wonderful fourth album, it’s also a pretty perfect two-word descriptor for it. There’s a haze of melancholy that infiltrates everything on the album, from the lyrics, to the melodies, arrangements and Marika’s breathy vocals which are probably the biggest sigh of them all. It also plays like a comedown from 2019’s “Any Human Friend”, an album that was fun, extremely sex-positive, and found Hackman very comfortable in her own skin. “Big Sigh” feels like a hangover, or at least waking up with a shock wondering “what have I done?” Strings swirl around her like 1000 doubts on tracks like “No Caffeine” where she tries to distract her way out of tailspin: “Take a day off work / Call your mum / Have a glass of wine / Stay away from fun / Pretend like you don’t care.” At first glance “Big Sigh” is most like her first, 2015’s “We Slept at Last“, windswept and atmospheric, but with the skill, confidence and nuance that comes with nine more years of life.
Marika played every instrument on the album — apart from brass and strings — and clearly learned a lot making her previous records (including 2020’s “Covers”). You can hear echoes of her second and third albums’ sound here even if it’s employed in very different ways, including subtle electronics that bubble under many of the songs. For those missing the zesty, carnal delights of “Any Human Friend”, there is “Slime” — “Stranger I wanna rearrange you / Climb your spine and shake your mind / Slide back and feel your bones crack / So sublime, turn to slime” — but these two albums make for a satisfying meal, expertly pairing the bitter with the sweet.
The Fat Angel Sings 