ALBUM REVIEW: Songs for Sad Girls – Lauren Tate
It’s been a prolific year for HANDS OFF GRETEL mouthpiece Lauren Tate. Her primary outfit’s sophomore album I Want the World was released earlier this year to much acclaim and her social media post regarding sexism towards her and bandmate Becky Baldwin on the subsequent tour to support the record went viral, earning her plaudits from all corners. Now the 22 year-old is set to release her first solo album for five years on Friday via her own label, Trash Queen Records. Entitled Songs for Sad Girls, the majority of the tracks were recorded in her home studio, where she enlisted no outside help at any stage, from the songwriting to recording, the production and even the artwork.
This is a far cry away from the raucous punk that Lauren Tate delivers with her main outfit. Instead, this is a very stripped back affair, often comprising little more than her voice and an acoustic guitar. It has more in common with the likes of P!NK and Amy Winehouse than it does, say, THE INTERRUPTERS, but this only serves to benefit just what a talented individual Lauren is. It’s the softer moments where she really comes into her own, such as the soulful Naturally Born Bad and the slinky, sensual vibes from Bad Egg Blues. There are certainly moments where she lets loose in a more familiar guise though; the punchy He Wanted More is complimented with a rumbling bass line and distorted guitar while the unforgiving nature of How Fucking Dare You sees her unleash a full-bodied scream as she plays the role of a cheated lover letting her feelings known to her partner.
Unfaithfulness isn’t the only subject matter that Lauren Tate tackles across the fourteen tracks: she has been bold in addressing a number of serious topics that, regardless of the album title, can relate to everyone. It’s highly likely that the themes on Songs for Sad Girls are entirely coincidental in light of her aforementioned Facebook rant, but the parallels between Miss American Perfect Body – which talks about body confidence and the pursuit of size zero – and the wish for men to stop demeaning women on the internet on the basis of their shape and size is a sign that this is something Tate has been thinking about discussing for a long time. Second single What About the Kids centres around gun culture, with Lauren showing not only her adeptness at rapping but also bringing to light how fragile her voice could be – at times, she sounds like pop megastar Billie Eilish as she sings “Daddy, I’ve been shot with a real gun/Not like in our games that we played for fun/ And that gun, it looked a lot like your one/the one you said would always protect us.”
Another big area she delves into is toxic love and abusive relationships. The opening lyrics to Can’t Keep My Hands Off You might bring a smile to one’s face (Twenty to five and I can’t sleep/Because I’m in love with a complete asshole) but to paraphrase current millennial speak, it develops into a song that will have people remarking ‘Hard relate’ and ‘I feel personally attacked’. He Loves Me is even more contrasting; the playful opening about being loved unconditionally is shattered when Tate sings “One, two three/I count the bruises up and down my thighs” and although musically the song skips along with a carefree attitude, the weight behind the words is enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Taking the gold medal, however, is Rock N Roll Radio, which talks about a brief fling between a teenager and a predatory man twice her age, drawing her into believing she is everything to him before ruthlessly discarding her affections as if they’d never happened. It’s Tate’s shining moment on the whole album, her conveyance of the anguish and torment is perfect in every regard and will move everyone who hears it.
In Lauren Tate, the UK is witnessing the rise of a very special individual. Whether fronting a bullish punk band or pouring out her emotions through the medium of acoustic guitar, she delivers on all fronts. Songs For Sad Girls is a pop-rock triumph in every respect and if this doesn’t raise the profile of this extraordinary woman tenfold, it will be a crying shame. The world needs to hear her on every airwave possible.
Rating: 9/10
Songs For Sad Girls is set for release on September 20th via Trash Queen Records.
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