Belladonna of Sadness

Despite being co-written and produced by Arctics Monkeys’ Alex Turner, the debut album from Portland singer Alexandra Savior failed to make much impact upon its release in 2017. Listening back to Belladonna Of Sadness now, it’s difficult to see why. There’s a wonderful, noirish storytelling to Savior’s songs, which she delivers with a cool, smokey detachment not a million miles from Lana Del Rey. Turner and co-producer Alex Ford, meanwhile, drape everything in retro, John Barry-esque finery not dissimilar to that of another Turner side-project, The Last Shadow Puppets. Something of a hidden gem, and not just for Arctic Monkeys fans.