Album Reviews: Lauren Mayberry, Basia Bulat, Deep Sea Diver

Lauren Mayberry – Vicious Creature
Thornhill, Scotland

Taking a step away from CHVRCHES again, Lauren Mayberry brings tracks with the same lush production but focused onto a more singular and personal level in her new solo album. Though its verses may seem simplistic at first, Mayberry absolutely mesmerizes you on the galactic reach of her choruses on “Something in the Air,” as she fills the record with a flow of wonder and hope for something better for yourself. The 80s come alive on “Crocodile Tears” mixing Eurythmics, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel and a lot of others into a wondrous throwback single that brings that vintage fun while Mayberry brings a fun bite to make it her own. Once it hits its momentum, “Change Shapes” really cuts into a funky groove that lets its strings provide little floaty breaks that just make the bass hit that much harder every time they come back in. Despite its warm piano riffs, “Sunday Best” is waves of wisdom coming from a life of successes and the mistakes that precede them, leaving a clever tinge of pain under the surface.

Laura Lee & the Jettes – Tough Love Paradigm (Single)
Berlin, Germany

It’s another great year for Gurr fans after Andreya Casablanca’s indie pop release last year, Laura Lee & The Jettes come back with more grinding rock with a hazy wash over it all. With its garage rock burn, “Tough Love Paradigm” cuts with riffs and harmonies from an era of rock we touch on less and less, letting extra colours wash in through the fuzzy distortion like an acid burn. Counteracting the often-primitive approach of garage rock however, there’s a lot of detail going on the more you listen, with every vocal and subtle pedal adding a hue to that sound. Though it really spreads its wings during the unexpectedly stormy and drum-driven bridge, not only building tension, but opening the space for that final chorus to come in like the missing lightning of that bridge and crash the whole song down.

Gurr at Ottawa Life: https://www.ottawalife.com/article/ottawa-life-magazines-best-albums-of-2019/

Basia Bulat – Basia’s Palace
Toronto/Montreal

As she steps further away from her iconic autoharp, we see more and more shades of Basia Bulat’s powerful voice and even more unpredictable spirit. More vast sonically than ever before, Bulat shows her real knack for writing and arrangements on this latest record, as she steps outside her comfort zone again. There’s a euphoric high on “My Angel,” as Bulat brings a joyful kind of dance, letting her soulful voice fill the song with warmth and triumphant romance to what’s to come. “Baby” leads on its dancing beats, but lets the strings bring the song in so many earth-shifting directions that they can shift from a punch to a breeze in a moment, guiding the song like the spirit behind it all. With a churning bass and neon synths setting the pace on “Spirit,” Bulat’s voice dances through the swirl of guitars and unplaceable keys, to create an otherworldly space for her to play in. The growing shimmering tones to “Disco Polo” create a kind of dazzling haze that makes you want to come into the harmonies and sing with Bulat and co., in a track that really takes its time to build in its arrangements to make those final moments all the more spectacular.

Confidence Man – 4AM (LA LA LA) (Singles)
Brisbane, Australia/London, England

Released as a deluxe extension to their 2024 LP 3AM, Confidence Man have released two extra singles ahead of their North American tour to get people bumping and grinding through the final cold months of winter. “I Heart You” booms with that late 90s, early 2000s DJ Sammy and Cascada sound, with every synth and pseudo string driving the feeling more and more. Though it’s definitely more in the candy end of their discography, their modern reimagining of these sounds is so excitingly finessed, it could easily pass for a lost single of the era. It also slots into the album’s vibe perfectly to make for another great track that will transition live for an explosive show. However, there’s something even more exciting in their blend of Fleetwood Mac and a bit of “Apple” from Charli XCX sounds on “Home Again,” as they take a more explorative approach to their electronics again. Within the more expansive track, the band let echo and a sunshine-laden vocal hook send you to the moon (or Venus as they suggest), taking a true hit of musical ecstasy in the process.

Tour: https://www.confidenceman.com.au/tour/

Our review of 3AM: https://www.ottawalife.com/article/album-reviews-confidence-man-tyler-the-creator-sofi-tukker

Deep Sea Diver – Billboard Heart
Seattle, WA

Without ever touching on influences that you could point to in a heartbeat, Deep Sea Diver’s latest record feels richly classic while constantly swinging from so many bespoke directions that it feels wholly its own. “Billboard Heart” sets the record off in a place between synth pop and bass-focused indie in a way that constantly brings the sharp points of both sounds for iconic moments, and intoxicating textures. There’s an immediate hook to the bass and drums on “What Do I Know” that let Jessica Dobson really cut loose vocally, and one that simultaneously holds down an infectious core while letting the band totally freak out all over this track. There’s a kind of sawing rhythm to “Shovel” that fits its more jagged story, which makes it all the more shocking and wondrous as the bright and inspiring synths burst in to bring a new layer to this song’s atypical swing of pain and growth. After a slow burn intro, “Let Me Go” brings the heat and rust in its flared guitars and a melancholic brush of harmonies, playing against its grinding composition to make a wholly unique track that is constantly straddling worlds of pop and rock in fascinating ways.