With the xx, Romy Madley Croft helped give heartfelt guitar pop a sleek electronic backbone. On her debut album as Romy, she delivers dance and pop music with singer/songwriter depth and vulnerability. As its title suggests, Mid Air hovers in the daring, precarious space created by taking a leap of faith on someone, and Romy channels all the hope, fear, and passion of falling in love with a woman into its songs. They're often poignant and celebratory at the same time; the Fred Again-produced "Loveher" blossoms from holding hands under the table into a floor-filling disco-house declaration of love. As she distills the subtle, complicated moods of new relationships, Romy revitalizes age-old heartache by filtering it through a queer lens. When she sings "she keeps on testing me," the romantic game-playing of "The Sea" feels fresh. Romy also falls in love with herself on Mid Air. She gradually allows herself to feel worthy of the kind of relationship she deserves on the shimmering "Weightless" and the sensual, grooving "Twice." The weightless freedom of the dancefloor is another essential element of Mid Air, and Romy's tributes to club music are always genuine. On "Strong," bubbling trance rhythm pays homage to Romy's mother just as gracefully as the vocals do. This is soft-spoken, sure-footed dance music that doesn't blare or shout to get its messages across. Buildups and breakdowns telegraph "Did I"'s journey from doubt to confidence, while the sweeping, disco-tinged standout "Enjoy Your Life" -- which bears the unmistakable production of Romy's bandmate Jamie xx -- is just as elegant as it is rousing. Mid Air is at its most captivating when it leans into how love changes someone, and how love itself changes through its ups and downs. The highs feel all the more rapturous compared to the uncertain lows, and Romy combines both brilliantly on the sunny closing track "She's on My Mind" with a twist that makes it a happy ending worthy of a rom com. Romy may have been the last member of the xx to release a solo album, but it was worth the wait: Mid Air's joyful, thoughtful version of dance music is utterly true to her. ~ Heather Phares