Album Review: Lucy Rose – Work It Out (Deluxe)
3 min read
UK singer/songwriter Lucy rose is a talent to write home about, and it’s not just us who say this; her debut performance at Glastonbury in 2013 had her dubbed as one of the festival’s rising stars. Lucy is also renowned and loved for her approach to acoustic pop music: her debut album Like I Used To was intimately recorded in her parents’ living room and won the hearts of fans old and new. With her latest album Work It Out she has added some more colour and vibrance, all with the acoustic guitar still present.
For You begins with the familiar Lucy Rose rawness with an impressive climax, but lead single Our Eyes is the track to look out for. The song has the best of both worlds: it has Lucy’s trademark quirkiness along with a subtle seasoning of indie pop. If you haven’t fallen in love with the singer’s vocals just yet then you need to give second single Like An Arrow a good listen. The intimacy and airiness delivered by Lucy in this track is to die for, and you can’t help but think of Kate Miller-Heidke’s ballads on either her Nightflight or O Vertigo! albums. The keyboard and breathy vocals set the eerie tone of Nebraska, whilst Köln has a more intense feel to it with its earthy arrangement. Shelter is another gem, and My Life is carried by a deep guitar line with some smooth vocal work. After the brief Fly High interlude, Till The End sees the album return to a more uplifting dose of pop.
A different sound was achieved with Cover Up. It’s one of the most atmospheric tracks on the album, that’s for sure, what with its tinny drums and layers upon layers of smooth and luscious sound. She’ll Move has an addictive and wonderful melody to it: the overall ambience of the track is compelling. Work It Out has more of an experimental/indie pop vibe but there aren’t any complaints there, and Into The Wild ends the standard edition of the album on a lighter note. Kicking off the five bonus tracks on the deluxe is the edgy Sheffield with its gritty guitar line and subtle vocals, followed by the just as interesting Lone Ranger. A combination of the earthy sound and breathy vocals is present in the profound I Tried, whereas Like That approaches indie pop/rock with ease. Finally, the deluxe ends with a live version of her single Shiver from her debut album.
Lucy Rose’s sound is special. We fell in love with it when she first came on the scene and we can’t turn back on it now. Work It Out retained her trademark quirk, grace and undeniable skill of penning a decent tune; it was pop without the in-your-face ‘oomph’, but it was still a pop phenomenon with its subtlety and warmth. With five bonus tracks in the deluxe edition of the album, Work It Out is wonderful with or without the extras, a Lucy Rose listening experience you’re bound to enjoy.
