By DJ Monk
Lauren Tate will be familiar to many loyal and attentive ÜR readers as the face and voice of Yorkshire grunge punks Hands Off Gretel, who have graced these very pages on many occasions and never once failed to poke all the right rock ‘n’ roll buttons as far as we are concerned. Now, she has proven once again that she has plenty to say, and extremely loudly, but this time outside the confines of the band, with her latest solo offering – and what a fucking gem of an album it is: one which definitely, and defiantly, screams to be heard by every self-respecting punk ‘n’ roller in this hoary old Überverse…
When we included the anti-gun anthem ‘What About The Kids’ – a song which, in itself, emphasizes Tate as an educated, erudite and highly important voice when it comes to addressing current issues through her music – in a recent edition of our ‘Singles Club’, we described it as a “a complete mood swing”, adding that “while the sound may different, Tate definitely has not lost any of her lyrical venom in this heartfelt and emotion-draining song”. Well, exactly the same description can be applied to this timely album and each and every one of its 14 tracks.
Fulfilling her vision of producing an album that is the musical equivalent of “a girl writing in her diary, unapologetic and imperfect like real girls are”, Tate presents us with a collection of songs about domestic abuse, body image, feminism, the fear of dying and much more – songs which are brutal in their honesty, and made all the more so by the stripped-back approach the 22-year old has adopted, presenting her lyrics in their rawest, most emotional context, often accompanied by just an acoustic guitar or a simple string arrangement. While occasionally referencing her grunge/punk background, such as on ‘He Wanted More’ and the soul-searing ‘How Fucking Dare You’, Tate also employs styles which range from Americana and lounge/torch (‘He Loves Me’/’Bad Egg Blues’) to rap (‘What About The Kids’ ) in order to get her powerful messages across in the most appropriate format.
‘Songs For Sad Girls’ is a truly exceptional album from a truly exceptional songwriter and performer. It presents a window into the soul of not only the artist but also the listener, forcing the latter to question the issues presented by the former and in turn themselves and their approaches to same. It is a challenging listen, but a rewarding one. It is the voice of a generation venting its anger and sense of both hopelessness and hopefulness. It is acerbic. It is aware. It is relevant. It is an album filled with sweetly delicious venom. It is an essential listen.
- ‘Songs For Sad Girls’ is released on Friday (20 September). You can get your copy HERE.
- Lauren Tate will be supporting Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners in November.
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