Lorde - Solar Power

by Zena Grieg

published: 22 / 9 / 2021

Label: EMI
Format: CD

Reflective and stripped-back third album from acclaimed New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde

Review

‘Solar Power’, the new album from the award-winning 24-year old New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, produced by Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff, who also co-wrote several of the songs, has a central current of escape. After a four-year break, Lorde's third album tackles head on unease with fame and the down side of celebrity and is driven by a search for serenity through reconnecting with the natural environment. This new album is a clear departure from the synths and digital sounds of her previous albums, revealing a reflective, more organic mood. Lorde’s lyrical ability imprints the collection, clearly evident from the opener ‘The Path’, featuring melodious vocals from Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo: “Now if you’re looking for a saviour, well that’s not me/You need someone to take your pain for you?/Well, that’s not me/’Cause we are all broken and sad/I just hope the sun will show us the path.” There's meditation on ageing in ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’, also released as a single: “…all the beautiful girls, they will fade like the roses/…all the music you loved at 16 you’ll grow out of” and despair about the destruction of the planet in the sombre ‘Fallen Fruit’: “To the ones who came before us/…We had no idea the dreams we had were far too big/…You’ll leave us dancing on the fallen fruit/…how can I love what I know I’m gonna lose?”. Swedish pop singer Robyn plays the role of a surreal flight attendant in ‘Secrets’ with a spoken-word verse: “Welcome to Sadness/The temperature is unbearable until you face it”, a song about the importance of resilience. And the single ‘Mood Ring’ provides a tongue-in-cheek take on the wellness industry: “Can’t seem to fix my mood/Today it’s as dark as my roots/…I keep looking at my mood ring/Tell me how I’m feeling.” Highlights of this twelve-track, stripped-back collection include: ‘The Path’ with Lorde imagining herself a teen millionaire on a desert island, to a drumbeat by Bob Dylan’s drummer Matt Chamberlain; ‘Fallen Fruit’ with its yearning for San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury and the 1967 Summer of Love; the poignant piano ballad 'Big Star’ about her dog Pearl who died during the making of the album; and the upbeat, vibrant title track, which stands out in an album of mainly gentle, low-key acoustic songs. Lorde will be touring the UK in May 2022 and promoting her new 'Solar Power' album.

Track Listing:-

1 The Path
2 Solar Power
3 California
4 Stoned at the Nail Salon
5 Fallen Fruit
6 Secrets from a Girl (Who's Seen it All)
7 The Man with the Axe
8 Dominoes
9 Big Star
10 Leader of a New Regime
11 Mood Ring
12 Oceanic Feeling