Through Water (CD)
Låpsley
Amoeba Review
Young singer/songwriter Låpsley creates a coming-of-age album of sorts in Through Water. Allegedly paired down from over 100 songs to 10, Through Water marries rich lyricism and vivid, personal narratives to sparse, futuristic pop music. Aside from lead single “Womxn,” which features a driving beat and bassline, a lot of the arrangements on the album could almost be considered ambient. There’s the laconic piano and multitracked vocals of “Speaking of the End,” a 21st century update of the Joni Mitchell songwriting school. Or the poetic “My Love Was Like The Rain,” where Låpsley vamps over a few synth chords and skeletal drum beat. As a whole, Through Water does more with less, emphasizing the fascinating storytelling at the heart of these 10 songs.