2016 is shaping up to be the year of the multi-instrumentalist. Jack Garratt’s critically acclaimed Phase has already graced our ears and the likes of Shura, Declan McKenna and Oscar are all set to make a splash with their debut albums. But perhaps the most anticipated and exciting debut LP is from 19-year old soloist Låpsley. After releasing her first EP Monday at the age of 17, there has been an electrifying hype around Merseyside girl.
Simple, ambient electro-pop fills the atmosphere of this album, with Låpsley’s soft and tranquil voice glazing over every track like honey. Her sound is defined immediately in opener ‘Heartless’ – a catchy pop hit with contemporary R&B drum beats layered over her ever reaching vocals. Perhaps the easiest way to identify a Låpsley track is with the distorted deep voices she herself sings, making tracks like ‘Station’ sound like a heart wrenching duet. In actual fact the song was produced when Låpsley was just 17, by herself, in her room with no record label to release it on.
The amount of sensational songs she has made at such a young age is astounding – it’s as if she is making hit after hit just for fun. Her biggest single to date, ‘Hurt Me’ is heart-felt and absolutely superb, snippets of voice samples and vocals slot into the track ingeniously. At this age most artists are using this time for trial and error, finding out what works and what doesn’t to define their sound and identity. Yet Låpsley is well on her way to being a fully-fledged popstar who is mastering her talent already. But this isn’t just an album to define Låpsley’s sound – it is also full of experimentation with a gospel choir intro in ‘Operator’ and organ samples in track ‘Cliff’. She hasn’t fallen into the trap of confining herself to any particular sound in her debut at all.
Låpsley is set for a busy and brilliant year with a slot at Latitude festival lined up and a jam pack worldwide tour over the next two months. Her unmistakable and unique subtle synth-pop styling is sure to conquer 2016.
Luke Humphrey