ALBUM REVIEW: LAU Steps Into Spotlight With Debut Album BELIEVER
ALBUM REVIEW: LAU Steps Into Spotlight With Debut Album BELIEVER
Move over, Valentines Day. We’ve got a breakup album on queue.
Words By: Lilja Cormack
UK synth-pop/retro-wave songwriter LAU, also known as Laura Fares, premieres her long awaited first solo album, BELIEVER. Although it is her debut album, she has been a prominent artist on this scene for over a decade now. She has worked on many retro-wave projects in that time. As a session drummer and songwriter she collaborated with artists such as Sam Sparro, Ricky Martin, Taio Cruz, and Big Black Delta. She also worked with artist NINA on her best selling albums Synthian and Sleepwalking. After years of distinguished work behind the scenes, LAU is finally ready to step into the spotlight. “I think it’s time for me to truly and openly express who I am, what I’m going through and what I have to say, and I hope some people will connect with that,” she says.
With its release date two days before Valentines Day, BELIEVER is sure to pull at some heartstrings. Upon writing this album, LAU had recently broken up with her girlfriend of nine years. She says in a way it was therapeutic for her as she was able to express her emotions and sing her heart out. She explains, “Even though it was a very painful process, I’m really glad I did it.” and considering what came from that process, we are too. The product being a retro-wave masterpiece that perfectly showcases her expertise in the genre. This album will make you nostalgic for a time when you would have listened to it through a walkman while sending you on a journey of self-reflection and heartbreak.
BELIEVER starts with a first song that lives up to its title. “Stunning” pulls you right in with entrancing synth and honest lyrics. This song alongside the two that follow it [“We Had Magic” and “True”] set the stage for what will be a vibrant, refreshing album about navigating the aftermath of a breakup.
The title track has all the right ingredients for a hit — not only are the lyrics incredibly relatable, the chorus is also extremely catchy. LAU shares, “’Believer’ is about how sometimes we believe everything our partner tells us, and only after we break up we see the truth.” You’ll want to dance to this song as you finally decide to block your ex’s number.
The album features stunning vocals as heard on “The Cards”, a track that along with “Always On My Mind” LAU depicts the feeling of how much ones mind can fixate on their ex after a relationship has ended. Sandwiched between “The Cards” and “Always On My Mind” sits “Recognise” — an absolute dream of a song which is perfect for its theme. This song taps into what it was like when a relationship felt perfect. Although this is in fact an album about a breakup, this song is surprisingly sweet. It plays as a reminder to us that in any relationship there were good moments.
Later in the album, LAU really tunes into the deep feelings she experienced during this time through, “Emotional.” The eighth track featured on the record digs into the pain of heartbreak, and more specifically how hard it can be to even describe how you feel — and she wasn’t done there. In “Unable” she confronts the concern of whether moving on from this experience will even be possible. At the end of the song she provides us with a truly raw moment singing, “I really hope that there is somebody to love.” Same, LAU. Same.
LAU’s final original song on this album,“What It Takes,” ties this incredibly personal story together beautifully. After nine tracks of reflecting on the history of her relationship, LAU finally admits “I don’t want to lose the love we had” and asks “tell me can we try and fix the past?” Even after all that has happened, there’s still a yearning for the past. A yearning for the feelings she described in “Recognise.” A yearning that she then recognizes may not be reasonable. At the end of the song, she painfully states “I don’t want to let you go, but if I have to then I’ll have to.” Whew.
To wrap up this project, LAU provides a unique rendition of HAIM’s “Now I’m In It.” LAU adds the signature retro sound she has spent over a decade perfecting to this already great song. Unsurprisingly, the result is incredibly cool and a wonderful way to end the album.
In addition, LAU gives us some remixes and instrumentals of what will surely be fan favorite tracks. Including, two covers of “True” — the first with Luke Million, who adds a groovy, more upbeat element to the song. The second, Austin Apologue, adds more bass tones that work to the opposite effect.
Both the Sunglasses Kid 1990 Pump It Up Mix of “Recognise” and the Highway Superstar Boogie Mix of “The Cards” add yet another level of retro to these songs — you can never be too retro.
There are also two remixes of “Stunning” — The Droid Bishop remix gives a new danceability to the song. Contrastively, The Popcorn Kid Nocturnal remix takes this song in a really interesting direction. Slowed down, the sadness of this track is much easier to recognize than in the original. There’s a drama and grandeur to it that is extremely compelling
The “We Had Magic (Maethelvin Remix)” in particular is one you won’t want to miss. While keeping LAU’s recognizable retro-wave base, this remix adds a futuristic, digital, almost Y2K overtone which produces an incredibly unique and cool sound.
BELIEVER is a great way to kick off the new year with new music. Looking forward, LAU says she is ready to start touring soon once things go back to normal so she can connect with her fans again. Until that time comes, make sure to listen to this amazing project from a seasoned and talented retro-wave star.
