When London and New York come together in musical matrimony it sounds like Louise Aubrie; a dancey mixture of pop and punk that is not afraid to stand its ground. Late 44 is a ten track summer salute with driving guitar and lighthearted vocals, but does the international beat resound in the ears of the youth?
Originally, Aubrie began recording at the Mill Hill Music Complex located in London. Since then she has stayed in New York while writing her own original material. Late 44 was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and it shows, the production is clean and fulfilling. Each time Aubrie layers her voice into the background chorus it blends in perfectly without subtracting from the primary vocal track. In Late 44 she demonstrates that she has vocal range and grace, occasionally she will create an interesting tempo as melodies flow from her lips. In a nutshell, Louise Aubrie is simple, lighthearted indie-pop that is fun to dance to.
“When I fall will you carry me home?”
The first album Louise Aubrie released was Fingers Crossed, in 2010, followed by Time Honoured Alibi in 2013. July 13, 2015 marks the launch of her third album, Late 44.
Being a solo artist is difficult, luckily skilled musicians such as Tom Edwards and others join Aubrie for the recording of the other instruments. Even though each instrument works to fill their role without stepping on the toes of others, it lacks creativity. For example, ‘Too Late’ has driving guitar, but the other instruments follow a standard structure of formatting, they lack individuality and repeat the same sections continually.
Seeing that this is her third album, it is surprising to see the lyrical content is so similar across the expanse of the album. Toward the end of ‘Next to Nothing’ Aubrie’s vocals synchronize with the guitar and drums, but the lead is so barren that it feels necessary to keep the track from getting stale. Aubrie’s manner of writing songs may need a foundation shaking if they are to stand out against so many other guitar-wielding female vocalists. The guitar has potential, in some tracks, such as, ‘Winter Dolour’ the guitar is apparent and captivating, but in others like ‘Please Don’t Touch Me’ it feels as though it draws in the listener much less.
Louise Aubrie has a bit of punk in her, but mostly pop-punk. If she has a spirit animal, it would be Josie and the Pussycats, her lighthearted beats and tone feel as though they would fit perfectly in the 70’s. Many of the songs channel feelings of love and escapism.
“He tried to win her over with a perfect battle cry. She knew he took her over with a perfect battle cry.”
In the end, Louise Aubrie has a beautiful voice, one that she has learned to wield in many ways, unfortunately she lacks the lyrical prowess and supporting band to turn Late 44 into anything beyond a summer dance album. Her pop-punk sound is clean and catchy enough to make some waves, but she needs to expand her musical scope if she is to become something more than hopeful.
Underground Examinations is a series of Independent Music Reviews with the intention of giving new music a fair and appropriate opportunity to be enjoyed.
By Garrett Jutte
Sources:
Louise Aubrie
Soundcloud
Bandcamp
