Pluperfect Mind, the NNA Tapes debut from the 23-year-old UK-based musician Dear Laika (a.k.a. Isabelle 'Izzy' Thorn), is an extraordinary creation ' a beautiful and unique oddity which exists in the liminal space between dreamworlds and a blurry, watercolored version of reality. It is a reflection on the past few years of Izzy's life, during which she sought solitude in the North Wessex Downs while beginning her gender transition. The album is a beguiling collection of vivid lyrics and celestial song, bound together with digital glitch and field recordings of flora and fauna. Comparisons can be made to Björk, Tim Hecker or Bat For Lashes, but ultimately, Dear Laika's exploration of the experimental and the mystical builds something intricate and intimate that is truly original and bewitching.
