Bria Salmena will perform Friday, July 25.

It’s not surprising that Bria Salmena easily moves between country to darkwave, singer-songwriter and punk vibes, sometimes in a single song, given that earlier musical forays include being the frontwoman of Canadian post-punk outfit FRIGS and vocalist in Orville Peck’s live band. Salmena culminates her artistic evolution on her solo debut album Big Dog, which chronicles her transformation, resilience and collaboration. Writing and recording it helped Salmena dig herself out of a dark period. It’s replete with big emotions and ambitions as she seemingly bends sounds and genres to her will. Slowly but subtly, her confident voice and intriguing arrangements become something you can’t quite put your finger on, with a sophisticated and sometimes uncanny sound that hovers between gritty punk honesty and gleaming atmospherics. Amidst this sonic landscape is Salmena’s potent lyrical imagery and tender, raw, defiant vocals. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Duncan Hay Jennings (who helped give classic and modern Americana songs a goth-y dream pop treatment on both of Salmena’s Cuntry Covers EPs), along with Graham Walsh (Holy F**k, Debby Friday, Alvvays) helped further refine the sounds, while U.S. Girls’ Meg Remy pushed Salmena to dig into the meaning of her lyrics and think about different ways of using her voice.

- Kerry Clarke