Rowena Wise - Bad Things Feel Good* [Lucky Dip]

The asterisk in the title is doing a lot of work. Bad Things Feel Good*, the second album from Australian Music Prize-shortlisted songwriter Rowena Wise, is a tender, point-blank reckoning with desire, devotion, and the messy moral gray areas in between, written while she was touring constantly and moving through heartbreak.

Producer Rob Muinos, known for his work with Julia Jacklin, cut the record live over three days at The Ratshack with Richard Bradbeer on bass, Jess Ellwood on drums, and Matt Dixon on pedal steel. The arrangements favor restraint and intimacy, leaving room for Wise's voice to soar and crumble in real time on songs like "More Horizon," "Blood Ties," and the title track.

Since her 2018 debut, Wise has built a devoted following through support slots with Holy Holy, Ball Park Music, and Bernard Fanning and sold-out shows in London and Melbourne. This is the record that should carry her further.

Pressed on lucky dip colored vinyl, so the color you get is a surprise. Out October 30 on 22Twenty.