There’s something entirely timeless about Springtime Can Kill You. It’s no surprise that “You’re Not Satisfied”, an interpretation of Riley Pucket’s “Though You’re Not Satisfied”, and the run through of 1820s traditional American song “Adieu False Heart” sound entirely in place alongside originals like the stunning “Mehitabel’s Blues”.

Following up Escondida, Springtime Can Kill You is a far more expansive release – it’s filled with an array of instrumentation that surprises, from duelling slide guitars to the drifting jazz of the title cut. A spellbinding take on “Crazy Dreams” by poet and songwriter C. R. Avery is just flooring; what’s clear about this album is that Jolie Holland has a style like few others.

She never settles either – this sophomore album is filled with country, bare-bones rock, and swing. It could have been an artistic statement any time from the 1930s ‘til now. That’s how broad the scope of sound employed here is. The waltzing of “You’re Not Satisfied” is matched by the similarly awing “Stubborn Beast”, as everything is handled with a confidence and surety of an artist at her creative peak.

How Jolie Holland will follow up such a release remains to be seen; whether she can come close to matching the artistic heights reached here is a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. There’s a sense to Springtime Can Kill You of a poetic heart let loose in the studio, where she’s employed an array of musicians to bring her beautiful songs to stunning life. This album is a winner of substance over styles.