Låpsley (Holly Lapsley Fletcher) is a British pop musician; after a couple of EP’s, her first full-length got released a couple of months ago, with the music community already labeling her as the “next big thing.” That title is well deserved since her debut record titled Long Way Home is immensely strong release containing quality songs, enchanting vocals and (occasionally) interesting lyrics.
There are no over-the-top arrangements with hooks galore here. Songs have a natural flow, a simple yet catchy structure that will quickly find a way to your quality-music brain center. Låpsley’s powerful voice is the star of the show; she really can sing, switching highs and lows effortlessly in a way you’d be thinking that she’s got immense singing experience and a dozen of records under her belt.
Hurt Me is clearly a hit single, with its catchy chorus and classic “my heart is broken” lyrical formula, but the song has a fair amount of energy, mostly because of the fantastic vocal performance. The real winner of the album is Operator (He Doesn’t Call Me) with its 70’s-style disco melodies, funky bass line, and a massively positive vibe; it’s real shame that there are no more songs on Long Way Home done in a similar style.
Album opener, Heartless is another song for which you’ll use repeat button, Love Is Blind starts slow but gets better and better as it progress and Painter is a perfect example of a soothing pop song ideal for the time just before going to bed. Leap and Cliff contain minimalistic song structure evoking sounds found on Fever Ray’s genius album. On the other hand, Silverlake and Station are obviously the weakest points of the record.
The only big complaint about Long Way Home is effect overuse on Låpsley’s voice. The girl really has a beautiful voice, and it’s a shame for it to be altered beyond recognition. This doesn’t happen frequently, but it can really ruin, otherwise perfect, album atmosphere. Other than that, Long Way Home is a stunning debut showing Låpsley’s talent in its full. I just hope that she end up as another victim of the corporate music industry, known for its fear of creativity that don’t look at music as an art, but as just another way of making tons of money. We’ll have to wait for her next album to find out if my concerns are justified.
