The follow-up to the former X Factor contestant's chart-topping 2017 release I Hope You Don't Mind Me Writing, the aptly named Today Was a Good Day delivers an affable, versatile, and relatable blast of mostly cheery, hook-laden folk-pop that evokes names like KT Tunstall, the Lumineers, and Courtney Barnett. "So much can change in a year," announces Spraggan on the opening track "Breathe," a slow burn exercise in empathy and melody that addresses the circular firing squad that is anxiety. Mental health also plays a role on the jaunty single "Stick the Kettle On," an expertly crafted earworm in support of English suicide prevention charity CALM -- Campaign Against Living Miserably -- and featuring friends and frequent tour partners Scouting for Girls. Spraggan's 2011 debut saw her doing more talking than singing, a proclivity she revisits on the moving "As the Saying Goes," an almost-breakup song that suggests Ed Sheeran by way of Kate Tempest -- the similarly heartfelt ballad "Waiting Room" will make even the most stoic animal lover's eyes damp. That's not to say that the 14-track set hews closer to the heavy-hearted end of the confessional folk-pop spectrum. Spraggan is a generous songwriter with a congenial way about her and a knack for finding shiny objects in dark places -- the whimsical love song "End of the World" actually concludes with the apocalypse. Today Was a Good Day, like her previous outings, will no doubt find favor at home, but being her first outing for Cooking Vinyl, which has a huge presence overseas, American audiences are likely to join in on the fun, though she may need to replace the kettle with a coffee pot.
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