Freya Ridings – Mother of Pearl

Freya Ridings is gifted at turning songwriting into storytelling. Written across four years, Mother of Pearl pushes her sound into new territory while staying true to the emotional honesty that defines her work.

Dancing in the Kitchen expands on this. The lyric, “Mama said, ‘It’s the grit that makes the pearl,’” reinforces an image that frames growth as something earned.

Opening with Euphoria is refreshing because Ridings moves into a category of catchy pop she hasn’t really explored before. It’s deeper and richer with unexpected percussion that sets it apart from her earlier work. There’s also Wild Horses, a personal favourite of this writer, which has a euphoric feel, and the added guitar gives it a gritty edge that captures unbridled freedom. It’s easily a standout on the album, with one of the stronger choruses. Wicker Woman draws on a Celtic sound and adds texture to the record. With this punchier, darker attitude, she can easily be compared to Florence + The Machine.

I Have Always Loved You diverts from this, going back to what Ridings is known for: intimate ballads. Whilst it acts like a palate cleanser, allowing her vocals to take centre stage, it’s also a sign of her dipping back into her safety zone and away from the transformation she signalled. It acts like a confession of her greatest love and heartbreak.

The biggest flaw is that some of the numbers get lost in their own overindulgence and begin to sound a little similar if you listen long enough. For an album centred around evolution, it feels strange that some of the moments it lingers on are reminiscent of Ridings’s earlier work, meaning the songs that should feel most impactful don’t always land as strongly. There’s also a slight issue with the track listing, which pulls and pushes the tempo so often that it slows the momentum and loses some of the excitement it builds.

Despite this, Mother of Pearl represents the joy that comes from playing with new ideas and Ridings’s willingness to experiment. Whilst it doesn’t completely reinvent her sound and occasionally comes down on the safe side, its strongest moments suggest an artist confidently stepping into a new chapter while staying true to what she does best.