Aldous Harding – Party

Aldous Harding – Party

Haunting, theatrical, and emotionally unguarded, Party is the critically acclaimed second album from New Zealand songwriter Aldous Harding, a record that refines her distinctive blend of folk intimacy and avant-pop surrealism into something both fragile and deeply commanding.

Released in 2017, Party strips back traditional folk structures and rebuilds them into something far more abstract and cinematic. Harding’s vocal delivery sits at the centre of the record — shifting between delicate restraint and unsettling intensity - while the instrumentation remains sparse, atmospheric, and carefully arranged, allowing each lyrical detail to land with weight and ambiguity.

Tracks like “Imagining My Man” and “What If Birds Aren’t Singing They’re Screaming” showcase the album’s emotional unpredictability, balancing beauty with unease. The title track “Party” unfolds slowly, unfolding like a dream-state narrative, while “Living the Classics” and “Horizon” lean into more melodic, minimalist songwriting.

Guest contributions from artists such as Mike Hadreas (Perfume Genius) and Fenne Lily add subtle harmonic depth, particularly on the more layered vocal arrangements, reinforcing the album’s communal yet ghostly atmosphere.

Across its runtime, Party feels less like a conventional pop record and more like a series of intimate scenes - part performance, part confession, part surreal theatre.

Tracklist:

1. Blend
2. Imagining My Man
3. Living The Classics
4. Party
5. I'm So Sorry
6. Horizon
7. What If Birds Aren't Singing They're Screaming
8. The World Is Looking For You
9. Swell Does The Skull