It’s been a while since there’s been an upperty pop-folk singer to hit the industry like Fiest with her ‘ 1, 2, 3, 4’ and Lenka is the best replacement if there were any – at least while she’s not releasing anything else. And with an album titled The Bright Side, you’d expect nothing else.
‘The Long Way Home’ starts off with cheery cranked up to 11, but with all the tinny percussion and smiling lyrics, you can’t help but want to skip down the street with a cheesy grin plastered on your face. Though don’t be fooled by the first song, as the rest of the album doesn’t follow on suit, luckily because there’s only so long you can hold a smile for.
If anything the deeper you get into the album the Lenka delves into more traditional pop tunes. Her vocals suit the genre to a tee, and she can easily flick from spoken lyrics to high notes and back again.
‘Free’ is a highlight for me purely for the beat that is has. It’s a little bit jungle-esque with hand-clapping set in the background and the lyrics are damn simple – which is what you want. I just can’t shake the feeling though that these songs should definitely be on a Disney soundtrack already. Are you listening Disney?
‘Go Deeper’ is a moment of clarity where Lenka touches on a darker pop sound, one that’s not heard much throughout the album. While she touches on topics with a surprising insight and wisdom, there’s a rawness and innocence to her voice. Though it all fits into a nice little package, and as a result Lenka has created a nice happy little release.
Out now via Skipalong/Hickory Records
Reviewed by Amanda Sherring