CD of The Week

Given the years of false starts on the pop charts and months of tabloid turmoil that she has been subject to, conversations about Sky Ferreira have predictably, even understandably shifted from quality of her music to the authenticity of her persona and the specifics of her relationship with DIIV's Zachary Cole Smith. It already feels like years have passed since 2012's signature, Blood Orange produced single "Everything is Embarrassing," and miraculous that we have a debut album from her at all. Even more surprising is that Night Time, My Time is as confident, compelling and cohesive as it is.

In a bit of a bold move, Sky leans less on the laurels of "Embarassing" and more on another highlight from last year's Ghost EP: the snarling Shirley Manson co-write "Red Lips." Produced by 2013 MVP producer Ariel Rechtshaid (Vampire Weekend, HAIM), hard hitting highlights like "Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)" and "Heavy Metal Heart" go toe to toe with anything from the latest Garbage album. That doesn't mean there isn't room for the capital P pop, however, as evidenced by current single "You're Not the One." The pristine production is matched by alarmingly personal lyrics that seem to mirror Ferreira's journey in the public eye as both a performer and a personae. Nowhere is this more evident than on her best song to date, "I Blame Myself," which bravely takes ownership for its protagonist's reputation while also implicating the listener in ignoring and even enabling her.

The cover of Night Time, My Time is a seemingly candid shot of Sky Ferreira in a shower stall naked. It could be easy to dismiss this as further objectification of her or distraction from all of the other hubbub surrounding the album. Instead, it foreshadows an artist who has had to do most of her growing up musically and personally under someone else's unrelenting eye, as well as someone unafraid to lay her emotions and ambitions bare. What a treat that she has been able to rise above her rocky beginnings to successfully reveal and achieve both.

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