Monday saw the release of promising new talent, 18 year old Lauren Aquilina's new EP 'Sinners' shot straight into the iTunes Top 5 after only 20 minutes on sale. Currently ranking higher than new releases from popular young songstresses such as Selena Gomez and Nina Nesbitt, 'Sinners' seems to be following the success of Lauren Aquilina's debut EP 'Fools' (recorded whilst Aquilini was juggling A- levels, a Saturday job to pay for studio sessions, no record label or financial backing) which found itself a lovely little spot in the top 10 of the iTunes album chart late last year, giving her hard work and talent the recognition it rightfully deserved. It also paved the way for her to build a pretty sweet following online (22k Facebook likes, 2.5 million YouTube views), support from BBC Introducing and Radio 1, her first sold-out headline tour in February and an autumn 2013 tour that already has sold out in 6 of the 8 venues! It's safe to say Lauren is a lady on a mission, coming at us with all guns blazing, and good for her. The facts and statistics are all well and good - but what do WE think of the 4 track EP?
Kicking off the EP is the title-track, where Lauren's vocals are tenderly possessing, accompanied by simple yet affective piano, emotive strings, and a somewhat euphoric synth that conjures the feeling of a determined sense of freedom, lyrics such as "we'll defy the rules until we die", offer a refreshingly mature sense of anti-conformity amongst her lyrics that challenges a misconceived stereotype we have in the UK of what teens are made of. 'Talk to Me' follows - a powerful, melodical dream that showcases different layers to Lauren's vocal ability. This time there's a desperation, a darkness and an anger in her voice as she moves through the verses broken by a pleading chorus of, "why won't you just talk to me? There's a universe inside your head, constellations of the things you left unsaid. Talk to me." again showing the depth to her lyricism. 'Ugly Truth' is a more bouncy, mainstream, catchy piano-laden track with echoey "ooh ooh" harmonies and is a little less intense than the rest of the EP, in a sense that it doesn't necessarily tie you in knots emotionally. With that in mind, closing track 'Irrelevant' is an emotional rollercoaster, full of hurt and heartbreak with a forceful, theatrical beauty that reaches every part of you. All in all, it's real, it's rich, it's honest. Lauren feels what she sings and she sings what she feels and that purity is a breath of fresh air.
Lauren Aquilina's website
Buy the EP
For more news, reviews and downloads follow The Sound Of Confusion on Facebook or Twitter
contact@thesoundofconfusion.com
No comments:
Post a Comment