Rainbow Chan - Pillar (2019)

Pillar is the songwriter and producer's second album after 2016's Spacings. As her debut, Spacings felt coherent. It was commanding in its pop presence and kinetic in its digital beats. Singles like "Work" had all the 'tude of empowerment and the hallmarks of a dancefloor banger. On the other hand, Pillar is pointy and jumbled. Tracks like "CSR" deliver a brash and glitchy beat. "For a Long Time" is an impatient ballad, with Chan's smooth vocals sparring with its drum and bass ticks. There's minimal, vocoder hymn "A Horizon", and "Lull" stops and starts as a sporadic techno-rave. However, it's this volatility that makes Pillar a thrilling album.