The title of Kim Plaum's debut EP as Madeira might refer to medieval medicine, but Bad Humors' sleek, moody synth-pop is very 2010s. Inspired by her departure from peppy indie poppers Yumi Zouma and her move to Auckland, New Zealand, Pflaum channels heartache and change into deceptively chilled-out songs like "Oracle Horoscope" and "Manipulator," where the contrast between soft sounds and raw nerves helps Madeira stand out from many of Pflaum's blas? contemporaries. Likewise, on "Let Me Down" -- which was also released by Ryan Hemsworth's Secret Songs label -- Plaum grounds her airy pop with down-to-earth melancholy. From start to finish, Bad Humors proves that sometimes catharsis can be pretty. ~ Heather Phares
