On the cusp of releasing her sixth studio album Depth of Field, Blasko has reached rarefied status. From the now-classic debut The Overture & the Underscore (2004) through to the stunning synth-laden Eternal Return (2015), her five-album run of genre-defining indie-rock and art-pop is unparalleled.

For those familiar with her work, it may come as a surprise that Depth of Field is the first in Blasko’s storied career recorded entirely in her home-town of Sydney.

Indeed, much of Depth of Field was written and recorded during a two-week period as artist in residence at the Campbelltown Arts Centre, a community arts organisation in the western outreaches of Sydney. Campbelltown allowed Blasko and her band to explore the influence of a space on the song-process. Away from prying eyes, under bright lights and on a theatre stage with resonance and ambience, she and her band captured performances of warmth, sensitivity and power.

The album’s opening song and first single is the euphoric Phantom . Ominous synth and piano are paired with the unbeatable groove of rhythm section Donny Benét (Kirin J Callinan) and Laurence Pike (PVT). Frequent collaborator and classical composer Nick Wales’ provided intense string orchestration while Blasko’s remarkable voice sends the music soaring.