On their debut album, Johanna and the Dusty Floor tread the ethereal path followed by My Brightest Diamond, St. Vincent and similar mystically inclined folk/rock acts. What gives Australian-born lead singer/keyboardist Johanna Cranitch a claim to distinction are her gossamer-like vocals, strong enough to rise above her swirling arrangements and delicate enough to embody the high-flown themes of her lyrics. Northern Lights anchors its dreamy excursions in solid rhythms, veering into techno-pop territory on tracks like “To Come to You” and “Gone and Dusted Away.” Cranitch carries herself with the air of a lovelorn enchantress on the bittersweet “Forest of Sorrows” and “Witch Shoes.” Billowing midtempo tunes like “Heavy Heart” and playfully theatrical numbers like “I Had a Secret” cut through the album’s rarefied atmosphere with catchy pop hooks. Nodding to a key influence, Cranitch covers Kate Bush’s evocative ballad “Cloudbusting” with a loving touch. With Northern Lights, Johanna and her cohorts back up their sonic sorcery with underlying talent and believable emotion.