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The Long-Awaited Return Seven years separate the release of cello-playing singer-songwriter Kelsey Lu's debut album, Blood, from its follow-up. Lu has suggested the long gap was an act of artistic rebellion against a music industry obsessed with providing a constant stream of new product – "tuning into my intuition, trusting myself and building a team to support that," as they put it. An Artist's Evolution During her hiatus, Kelsey Lu has been remarkably prolific in other artistic pursuits. They have scored two movies: the Bafta-winning Earth Mama and the Netflix documentary feature Daughters. They have collaborated with Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Yves Tumor, Mykki Blanco, Jamie xx, Boys Noize and visual artist Kevin Beasley and contributed a version of Manchild to a Neneh Cherry tribute compilation. They have been photographed by Nan Goldin for a Gucci campaign and staged a performance art piece at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. A Cohesive Vision So Help Me God suggests that Kelsey Lu's time away from album-making has sharpened their sense of purpose. It's more cohesive and less obviously in thrall to Lu's influences than Blood – a very good album, but one that was regularly visited by the ghost of fellow avant-pop cellist Arthur Russell. It mostly proceeds at an unhurried, summer-afternoon pace – even the drum'n'bass rhythm of Only the Lonely feels languid, distractedly fading in and out of the track – but its 50 minutes nevertheless pass in a flash. Collaborative Mastery The album's guest list is as eclectic as Lu's activities over the last seven years: pop super-producer Jack Antonoff, jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, British singer-songwriter Sampha and former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon. Rather than jarring or showy, their appearances are beautifully sublimated. The melodies of the Antonoff-assisted tracks shine through abstract arrangements, though the melodies of the songs on which Antonoff gets no credit are every bit as strong. Experimental Beauty Reaper exemplifies what the album has to offer. It starts as a lovely piece of soft-focus pop-soul, before something more peculiar begins to encroach. The drums begin to drop unexpectedly out of the mix, then reappear, then vanish entirely. What initially seems to be an ambient coda, replete with Washington and Gordon's contributions, turns out to be a lengthy interlude before the song gathers itself again in a noticeably different form: slower, driven by a drum machine, the whole thing shimmering with tremolo effects. The Art of Waiting So Help Me God is very clearly the work of someone who has their own vision and their own way of doing things. It's an album that wears its weirdness lightly, that keeps moving in unexpected directions with an impressively graceful smoothness. While it's a shame that Kelsey Lu makes albums so irregularly, you leave the album eager to hear more, yet unsure of when you might. If it takes her another seven years to follow it up, so be it: some things are worth waiting for, and So Help Me God is one of them.

The Struggle of Working-Class Artists The Tara Clerkin Trio, consisting of Tara Clerkin, Sunny Joe Paradisos, and Pat Benjamin, has been making waves in the underground music scene with their eclectic sound, which blends elements of minimalist jazz, avant-pop, and trip-hop. Despite their growing success, the band members, who are all working-class artists, share their struggles in the UK's music industry. The Band's Unique Sound Their music is characterized by happy accidents and incidental noises, which they incorporate into their tracks. The band's sound is shaped by their use of loop pedals, sampling, and a variety of instruments, some of which they don't play properly. This unique approach has charmed fans across the music spectrum, including jazz enthusiasts. The Challenges of Making Music The band members discuss the difficulties of making a living as working-class artists in the UK. They highlight the struggle to balance touring, working, and making music, often having to juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet. The situation is further complicated by the fact that touring three times a year doesn't pay enough to support their living expenses. The New Album: Somewhere Good Their second album, 'Somewhere Good', is their most pop-oriented record yet, featuring more structured songwriting and storytelling. The album was written and recorded in precarious circumstances, with the band members working and touring simultaneously. Despite the challenges, the album captures a sense of optimism and positivity, with songs that address themes of loss, grief, and gentrification. The Future of Independent Music The Tara Clerkin Trio's experience reflects the broader challenges faced by working-class artists in the UK. They chose to release their album on the in-house label of east London record shop World of Echo, rather than signing with a bigger label, to maintain creative control and avoid giving away their rights. As they continue to make music, they hope to inspire others to do the same, despite the difficulties.