There is a certain satisfaction fans of music know when they follow an artist from their beginning through their debut, and that satisfaction is alive and well after listening to Holly Lapsley Fletcher's (Låpsley) impressive first effort, Long Way Home. Under her name, she's garnered success in her home country, the United Kingdom, and on an international level as well. On Long Way Home, she melds pop and R&B on one of the most sonically beautiful albums of the year. There are a number of truly standout tracks on the album like "Painter" that we are familiar with already ("Hurt Me" is another), but what makes the album all the more special are her previously unreleased songs. "Seven Months" is one of her newest and strongest, as the ethereal, yet massive album closer leaves listeners with all of the emotions she conveys on this body of work: joy, sadness, empowerment, and self-doubt. Additionally, "Silverlake" plays on Låpsley's classic warped vocals atop a piano-driven melody—something evident on many of the album's other tracks. It's been an incredible year for British music (the meteoric rise of international pop stars like Jess Glynne and Shura have spawned another British invasion across the globe), and, like her XL labelmate, Adele, Låpsley's unique, soulful vocals, and ear for production and songwriting conveys real emotion makes her the ideal artist to lead her counterparts farther into the era of music we're now in. You can purchase Long Way Home on iTunes now, or stream it all on Spotify.
Låpsley