The "single of the year" girl releases a big spring hit and gets an album done by fall. And yes, I know that Lorde was all of 16 when you were clubbing to her jam. But before we give young Ella Stevie-Wonder-sized credit, don't forget that her producer/co-writer is 30 and has been at this music game a while.
I agree, of course, that "Royals" is a great song. Starting with the understated rhythm track that comes off like a slow sex jam, the song is still immediately danceable. Lorde's voice and the looped over vocal harmonies makes up almost the whole of any instrumentation. And the lyric is a very clever re-establishment of an alternaative youth culture that avoids the trappings of the previously lauded rap-led cash/money/murder life.
Unfortunately, I can't say that the rest of the album fares as well. Maybe the duo just needed more time to write some songs. Or get a band together. But the rest of the album feels like lesser versions of Royals. Mellow but danceable beats with some keyboard accompaniment, Lorde's monotoned verses and bigger choruses. Songs about what Lorde and her crew do. Or her generation? You know how in "Royals" she talks about "that kind of lux just ain't for US"? The rest of the songs too seem that she doesn't have thoughts or feelings of her own. She only speaks of what WE do/think/feel. Weird.
I expect that Ella will tour, cash her checks and take two years to regroup with a more mature sound and more thoughtful thoughts. (2 of 5 stars)
