Album Review: Lauren Pritchard – Wasted In Jackson
3 min read
Lauren Pritchard is one of a kind. With vocals that glide from sultry and passionate to rock diva on a mission in one single beat, the rising Tennessee born star has found pastures new in London and has been a busy songbird over the past 12 months leading up to the release of her debut record, Wasted In Jackson, which is released on Monday.
Already having gained critical acclaim with her first single, Painkillers, which showed off Pritchard’s talents as a strapping vocalist and songwriter, the singer has also been busy promoting the record with slots at some of the years biggest festivals including a successful pitching at Latitude Festival where I was lucky enough to catch the singer and hear the songs that are pieced together to form the forthcoming release.
Wasted In Jackson is the London based songbirds first attempt at the big time and is a record of Pritchard’s own life experiences and pays homage in the title to her native homeland.
The record also coincides with the release of Pritchard’s second single Not The Drinking which enlists thought provoking lyrics to tell the story of alcohol and drug fueled anguish. Lines like ‘I can hear mother saying like she does, she should just understand not everything in this world is good for us’, perhaps lessons learned from her time in Tennessee. The addition of a sweet horn section gives the song a real kick as one of the albums pearls.
The singer has very similar tones to fellow singer Joss Stone with a small trade of Stone’s jazz likings for Pritchard’s Americana roots that eb and flow throughout the eleven tracks showcased here.
The bulk of the record has been penned by Pritchard herself so holds a personal quality that allows the singer to get lost within it and you can really hear the attachment throughout the collection.
The acoustically beautiful title track offers a hit of commercialism to the record. Its whimsical mid section is a complimenting addition that allows the song to really lift off as an incredible melancholic ballad.
When The Night Kills The Day is a bluesy addition which was co-written by Ed Harcourt. With its eerie piano sections and atmospheric filling as well as having one of the best song titles out there, the track is an album highlight and one that offers a superb collaboration between two accomplished musicians.
Painkillers, the albums lead single, is a flowing number dripping with soulful melodies and a throbbing beat. The track was picked up by radio stations as a key single and since has gained the singer recognition as one of the best in new singer/songwriters, so much so that the likes of Roni Size have remixed the track giving it a more extensive lifestyle outside of its sombre origination.
Radio savvy beckons and calls with the pop fueled I Hope It’s You which supplies lashings of spacey sounds and a hook laden chorus that would be well worthy of a future hit single.
The record could have been more commercial than it is but without taking the it through the glossy pop machine like the majority of music these days, it’s a relief that the mainstream hasn’t tainted Wasted In Jackson. The songs stand on their own as confident and memorable tracks well worthy of chart positions without being over exploited.
The record has been produced by the notable Eg White who mastered hits for Duffy’s Warwick Avenue and Adele’s Grammy Award winning hit, Chasing Pavements.
Following in the footsteps of Norah Jones and Joss Stone, Lauren Pritchard is bound for the same success and this debut effort sums up perfectly the reason why Lauren Pritchard is the one to watch in 2010.
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::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
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