Lucy Rose has spent most of the last year touring with good
pals Bombay Bicycle Club, and now she takes centre-stage with the long-awaited
release of her debut album Like I Used To.
The beginning of the record is familiar to those who have been following Rose’s
progress; the first three tracks have gone ahead of the album as successful
singles. ‘Red Face’ is a strong opener with its well-paced build up to a
pleasantly chaotic crescendo and ‘Middle Of The Bed’ is defiant and irresistible.
‘Lines’ introduces the innovative rhythms that permeate this offering; it
snakes in and out of several time signatures yet never once feels disjointed.
A solid start is built on by ‘Shiver’, arguably the high
point of Like I Used To. The raw
minimalism of a lone acoustic guitar and Rose’s heart-breaking vocals would
touch the nerve of even the most hardened listeners; the simplicity of it is
stunning. ‘Night Bus’, in contrast, has a much more upbeat and triumphant tone;
it’s the kind of song you wish was a person so you could give it a big hug. ‘Bikes’
is much in the same vein, and includes a plea for people to “Listen up, listen
here, everybody scream out loud” which no doubt will be answered in a live
setting. Elsewhere, ‘Watch Over’ is filled with afrobeat influences, perhaps a
happy side-effect of hanging out with Bombay Bicycle Club.
Sadly though, all good things must come to an end and the
close of Like I Used To falls away
into mediocrity. There is no discernible change in what we are hearing; it just
seems that by the time we get to ‘Don’t You Worry’ and ‘First’, Rose has run
out of steam. ‘Be Alright’ is pleasant enough but falls flat as an album
closer, leaving an initial sense of disappointment. However this disappointment
must be rationalised and a flat ending does not erase the brilliance that came
before it. Like I Used To has been a
long time coming, and bar a few hiccups it exemplifies everything that makes
Lucy Rose such an intriguing prospect.
8/10
Listen and buy here
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