Tickley Feather Tickley Feather

• Words: Wyatt Williams
• Label: Paw Tracks
• XLR8R Rating: 7/10

Annie Sachs makes music in her bedroom and this self-titled debut as Tickley Feather sounds just like you’d imagine. Rather than let production limit her, though, Sachs turns cheap synths, budget effects, and fuzzy four-track recording into an expansive, lush pop album. Naïve vocal melodies echo into the distance, keyboards howl like synthesized wolves, and a cheap drum machine keeps the strange, simple beats. The 20 short songs conjure everything from magic spells to dreamed-up parties, while childlike fantasies run amok. Despite selecting tracks from four years’ of home recording, producer Rusty Santos mixes the album with remarkable coherence. Sachs’ dreamy voice ties her songs together and allows for glimpses into the unreal without ever leaving the bedroom.