Despite being released in October of last year, I recently discovered the wonderful Liz Lawrence and her second full length album Pity Party.
With this album being her first full length release since 2011, it is so obvious to listeners that Lawrence has made this album on her own terms – she has done it for herself rather than anybody else this time around. Sticking to her native lo-fi folk roots with hints of pop, she explores what life is like as you draw closer to your mid twenties.
‘None of my friends’ is a track that really details the chaos of life in your mid twenties, it’s a song that encompasses the overall mood of this record. Describing what inspired the song to Rhys Buchanan (NME Magazine) she spoke of a day in which she had 5 phone calls with friends about various different dramas that were occurring in their lives and how this realisation of change had really become a pivotal moment in life for her – it’s something a lot of people, particularly of this age group will be able to relate to.
USP is one of my favourite songs on this record, describes Liz’s experience as a young person in the industry after leaving record labels for various reasons, it’s a song about reclaiming your image and building up the confidence to be who you want to be without restrictions.
Navigator is a vibrant pop rock anthem that exposes the truths about finding security in the people that we love.
Nostalgia permeates each track and the care that Liz has taken with her lyrics and the layering of sweet guitar melodies over beats from a synth machine really proves to her audience that she is a person that knows exactly what she wants from her music. Pity party is an album that just works, the sentiment is clear regardless of the order one chooses to play it in.
My personal favourites are USP, Want, But Love & 10 Breaths. Its an album I think everybody needs to hear, especially at the moment. Liz is one to watch, an exceptional talent with the ability to captivate & connect her audience.
You can purchase physical copies of Pity Party here
Stream it here