I’m sure someone famous and philosophical once said that your 20’s are a time for self discovery, growth and acceptance. Irrespective of your own self confidence, you spend a lot of this period working out who you are and what you want to be. It’s a time for learning, love, adventure and discovery. For Gordi, her 20’s have brought all these things and so much more. Here on her second album, Our Two Skins, Gordi reveals a passage into her life over the last few years that has shaped who she is as a musician and person.
After juggling music and becoming a doctor for the majority of her adulthood, Our Two Skins is Gordi at her most honest, as she opens up about the trials and tribulations she’s endured on her journey of learning, love, adventure and self-discovery. The album is enlightening – a transparent dive into someone who is seemingly now comfortable in her own skin.
We ease into the album with six minutes of “Aeroplane Bathroom”, a song so calm and settling that you’d definitely think I was lying if I told you it was written mid-panic attack, in an aeroplane, somewhere between Australia and Europe. The immediate and hypnotic “Unready” is a stellar second track as Gordi shows her more anthemic side. The music is glorious and set the listener in stride for the rest of the album. Lead single “Sandwiches” quicky follows “Unready”. A love song and ode to her nan, Gordi paints a relationship of beauty, empathy and pure joy. It’s these kinds of songs and relationships that remind you of the human intimacy that sets music apart from other forms of art.
The back-to-back duo of “Volcanic” and “Radiator” are possibly the most complete on the album. The piano progression on “Volcanic”, when matched with distorted and strained vocals, builds throughout the song and comes to an instant climax of pure gratification. The continued use of piano on “Radiator” sets the scene of someone who comes to the realisation that hiding their true feelings isn’t the best thing for their own well-being and sanity, and that letting their feelings be known will set them free; lift a proverbial weight.
For an artist that has traditionally leant on the synth side of folk, “Extraordinary Life” is inverted, as the subtleties of the guitar becomes the real hero moment. It’s a full-blown love song and pure in every form.
One thing you notice on Our Two Skins is the constant theme of self-acceptance. It’s apparent Gordi wants people to know the real her. She’s come to the conclusion that if she’s now comfortable with who she is, there’s no reason why others shouldn’t be comfortable with her. The simplest and frankly most poetic moment comes on “Look Like You”. It’s basic and raw – a fair indication of what is being portrayed on the entirety of the album.
“Limits” tells a love story of wine and dinner, heartfelt talks in the kitchen, and those instant connections you make with people that make it feel like you’ve known them forever.
The evolution of Gordi from her first EP, to her first album and now Our Two Skins has been nothing short of fantastic. Our Two Skins is raw, blunt and fulfilling. It is Gordi at her most exposed and open. It’s an album of acceptance and growth. A deep dive into personal philosophy, Gordi should be proud of what she’s put together here.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Our Two Skins is out on Friday 26 June.
