Lail Arad’s debut album ‘Someone New’ somehow manages to channel a multitude of the North London artist’s influences whilst maintaining an individualistic streak.
Hints of Woody Guthrie, Joni Mitchell as well as Simon and Garfunkel are stepping stones towards new ideas and there is more than a subtle nod to contemporary female artists such as Regina Spektor and Kate Nash.
Like the aforementioned duo; the singer-songwriter manages to inject a dose of humour into her compositions that resonates immediately with listeners. Still, the greatest strength of this release is that the tracks are varied enough to return to for multiple listens.
It sure helps that the lyrics are continuously engaging. In my original review I commented that Lail’s lyrics “appear deceivingly simple whilst conveying a multitude of emotions”. It is this quality that makes ‘Someone New’ endearing in the long run.
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