Clockenflap darling Lucy Rose brings new sounds on third album Something's Changing [Review]
Clockenflap favourite Lucy Rose releases her third album Something’s Changing, mostly inspired by her tour of Latin America last year, where she stayed with fans while playing solo shows around the continent.
And straight away, we hear something has changed. Intro is a short, stripped back number with Rose making the most of her vocal range over rolling harp chords. In her own words, “This is bliss”. Is This Called Home continues this basic setup, with warm reverb electric guitar laying the foundation for most of the song. Sweeping strings join later, and dominate the outro as Rose repeats “let me hold your hand” over a dry acoustic kit, giving a strong 60s singer-songwriter vibe.
Floral Dresses, which features backing vocals from The Staves, is far more soulful in delivery, with beautiful harmonies over an acoustic guitar throughout, sounding reminiscent of songwriters like Joni Mitchell or Carole King. The 70s soul influence is clear on Second Chance and No Good At All, which are far brighter in comparison, with beautifully written string sections complementing each perfectly. Find Myself and Love Song, meanwhile, infuse a bit of country with slide guitars.
Moirai swaps guitar for sombre piano chords, as Rose sings about how fate has dealt a bad hand. The strings descends mournfully as she repeats “Moirai, you let me down, you let me down”. Rose then takes the emotion even further on tear-jerking closer I Can’t Change It All, as the brass and strings swell to spine-tingling levels, drowning in the instrumentals “I can hear you calling me, I can hear you from across this open sea”.
Something’s Changing marks a new phase for Lucy Rose. She is subtly introducing new elements to her music, while showcasing her most incisive and transparent lyrics to date. She is really getting into her stride as a songwriter, which leaves an exciting prospect as to where she will take it next.