Australian quartet Fair Maiden formed in 2008 and took their sweet time writing and recording the eight songs that would eventually make up their self-titled 2014 debut full-length. Though relatively brief in duration, the eight songs here manage to run a strange and disparate spectrum, including songs that reside in some strangely medieval courtliness, some that recall sunny '60s pop, and even a few nods to old-timey country-rock. The album begins with the droning, mysterious "India," a short and moody tune based around a growing modal melody and spare percussion. The darkness that starts the record soon melts into the acoustic guitars and singsongy vocals of "Lord" and the downright happy country-pop of "Wait for You." Things change song by song for much of the album, with choral vocals and one-note riffs making up the gothic "Sad Song" just moments before retro-modeled late-night strollers like "Blue Moon" and "Darlin." The album is short at just eight songs, but somehow feels clogged with ideas that don't sit well together. The various styles Fair Maiden investigate are interesting enough, but feel ill-fitting in the context of an album. Though most of the songs are strong in their own right, with standouts like "Lady of Fortune" giving a glimpse of what it sounds like when the band really finds its voice, all in all the album feels like a weird and sometimes confusing mixtape.