South London multidisciplinary artist Clara Mann returns with her sophomore album, Wishbone.
Produced by 4AD resident Fabian Prynn at Norfolk’s Bam Bam Studios, Wishbone feels bright and clear, but never weightless. There’s real purpose running through it, with songs that stay close to the performance and the writing.
Mann leans into a tradition shaped by Fiona Apple and Tom Waits, while keeping faith with plainspoken English balladry. These songs let air and melody do the work, sidestepping revivalist pieties. Here, the ballad feels alive: direct, human, and slightly askew.
