Written by Tom Bedding
Feeling refreshed and calmer, Lorde releases an album that naturally has some great moments on it but lacks the quality that she has consistently reached previously. It must be so tough being seen as one of the best and we do witness reasons for that acclaim, it will be interesting to see her reaction of all this on album 4.
‘Lets hope the sun lights the path’ sings Lorde in the opener ‘The Path’, a lush sounding cut that welcomes you to the artists new head space on her third studio album. Beginning minimalisticly with the lo-fi sounding electric guitar (that is found a lot on the record) but finishes in top quality form, the whole band feel of the second half of the song is both refreshing and wonderful to hear. The melody grows as the song progresses too and the choice of the drum mixing is both surprising and effective, you wouldn’t expect a slight garage tinge to the drumming on this kind of song.
Then follows the brilliant single and first offering from Lorde’s first LP in 4 years, ‘Solar Power’. Yes, the track feels like a mix of the Stones, Primal Scream and George Michael but what a blend of references to form an amazing single that easily soundtracks the summer adventures we all yearn for. The slow build up is addictive, while the guitar work creates a magical background with the iconic backing vocals that is found a lot in Lorde’s work.
‘Blink three times when you feel it kickin’ in’ kick starts the amazing hook (again very similar of those influences) and the lush atmosphere that beams onto you, when this chorus goes around and around, is truly beautiful. Many people question Lorde’s popularity and despite the artist not being as concerned as others are, she always knows how to deliver a single that captivates her audience and the masses.
As just mentioned, Lorde does not need to worry about mainstream popularity compared to other artists, she can allow her talent to do all the talking. However you can’t deny that the New Zealand star has seen (maybe influenced) a drop in her wider appeal, which is natural for nearly everyone who experiences the level of attention she received from her iconic single, ‘Royals’. On the song ‘California’, the singer tackles that time in her life and the experiences of arriving to the American state to receive the acclaim and glory from said single, which she does admit she enjoyed. Yet, the song goes into how she wanted to leave the Hollywood hills to have a more sane existence back in New Zealand; it’s a solid song with a beautiful chorus and some more lush sounding instrumentation.
Lorde has come back after a 4 year hiatus and naturally, the excitement of her return was on a level that not many experience. And with now the world being more in a frame of mind that is ‘I want everything and more’, was Lorde always going to get some flack for whatever she did? With ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’, the single that is heavily influenced by Lana Del Ray’s recent album (Taylor Swift also referenced her last year) and due to the connection of having the same producer, some saw this as a way to have a go at the talented songwriter. I personally think this was a harsh point to use, the single has a warming and touching melody, that fits with the mini life crisis that is sung about in the song. We have high standards for Lorde and understand this album may not hit those heights completely but some people need to get a life or just get stoned at the nail salon too.
Over some folky guitars, the sincerity of asking where will we go after the earth is inhabitable is strong and is possibly the strongest with that on the entire LP. The backing vocals are fantastic, as Lorde sings ‘but how can I love what I know I am gonna lose’ and the overall moodier tone will probably go down well with the typical fan of her the artists work. We then go from a very Swift verse and then a 00’s chorus on ‘Secrets From A Girl (Who’s Seen It All’, which can either annoy the hell out of you or become your new jam for this late summer. Lorde’s vocal performance is fantastic and the guitar work again is rather solid but the chorus feels too trapped in its hook and becomes slightly annoying, it is for sure a marmite kind of song. The lyrics are not very good with telling its story and the closing moments of the bizarre monologue, about ones feelings as a piece of luggage at an airport, is both commendable and rather annoying in truth.
Written after a party and feeling rather hungover, the almost poem (‘The Man with the Axe’) is a love filled moment that does not have the same execution as other emotive moments from the artist if Im being honest. It is rather lovely with her delivery and the muted like instrumentation, however I am not swept by its intentions to the level that we got from ‘Melodrama’.
Following on from that, Lorde examines a guy that uses the wellness culture as a mask to cover his past and lack of actual development, on the struggling track called ‘Dominoes’. I love the lyrical content but the music aspect of the song is rather flat and disappointing, the standard that Lorde has set herself is not reached at all here. Don’t get me wrong the cut is not awful but here we have a songwriter that has written some of the finest songs of the last decade, we should always hope that level is reached as much as possible.
Then, in ode to her dog who sadly passed away last year, ‘Big Star’ is soothing and very touching at times. The guitar line is lovely and the simple chorus is touching with naming her dog ‘Big Star’; you can imagine Lorde laying by his old bed and thinking about how powerful the relationship between her and her pet was. Lorde nails the intentions of the record here, capturing a moment in a song that is filled with the essence of the outdoors and what nature can bring to an individual, spiritually and mentally.
We then witness the singer go for a Crosby, Stills and Nash meets Father John Misty vibe on ‘Leader Of A New Regime’….which I am not complaining about one bit. Overall, the song is executed well and the acoustic guitar is a nice touch, while Lorde sings over a solid melody.
Next, this records lo-fi mood goes to another level on ‘Mood Ring’, which has really disappointed many. Despite not being fussed about the lyrics about wellness culture, I do really enjoy the rhythm and the flow into the impressive chorus. ‘Solar Power’ can soundtrack the perfect beach day for you and this single will capture the mood of the sun slowly setting, mainly as the vocal mixing captures a slight nighttime vibe over the more lighter instrumentation playing.
With it coming up to being 6 minutes and just two chords, the challenge to conclude this album with ‘Oceanic Feeling’ was on. It has to be said it is rather charming at times with its bass line and ocean themed lyrics at the start, while the second half of the song ventures into different sounds with its percussion and vocal mixing. ‘Solar Power’ is for sure a drop from what we have come to expect from Lorde but it is still a rather strong album, offering a wonderful sound to the beach experience. Lorde’s writing will have to step it up again for album number four but for now, we can enjoy ‘Solar Power’ for what it is.
Bring Me The Music Recommended Tracks: The Path, Solar Power and Big Star
コメント