EP Review: LUCIA - 'Cheap Talk'

Following on from last year’s ‘Best Boy’ EP that had a thunderous and distant feel, LUCIA are back with ‘Cheap Talk’ which is in-your-face indie pop. If you’re feeling the seasonal affective disorder kicking in and need something to lift your mood, LUCIA’s new EP is just what you need.

There’s an undeniable, uplifting sound of freedom that comes from ‘Cheap Talk’ which is in direct contrast to LUCIA’s back catalogue. One release from earlier this year – ‘Melting Ice Cream’ – seems to bridge the gap between the two EP’s in a juxtaposed song that has sweet, soft vocals carried along with a grunge guitar backing. It’s the sweet, soft vocals that are the focus of this latest EP. The title track of the EP is simplistic, with a rolling bass line and catchy chorus “with the sweetest touch she gets what she wants” – there is something in this that vocally reminds me of The Kills and how their songs seem to have a consistent moody urgency.

 ‘Summertime’ reminds me of the breezy song ‘Young Folks’ that caught a lot of attention in the Homebase advert. It has one of those easy going and memorable melodies that gives you a feeling of sentimentality for something that you can’t quite put your finger on. ‘All The Money In The World’ has a little touch of disco with a conversational tone that has Blondie written all over it, whereas ‘What Am I’ seems to be an expression of angst, which ties in with the idea of growth. There is a youthfulness about the songs but they also retain an adult quality in their moodier undertones. With all of these factors considered, LUCIA have written an EP that could be picked as the soundtrack for growing into adulthood.

Words by Tyler Damara Kelly

 LUCIA are currently on tour, supporting Estrons.

November 
2nd Nov - King Tut's, Glasgow, supporting Estrons
3rd Nov - 2Q Festival, Lincoln, 
3rd Nov - Think Tank, supporting Estrons
7th Nov - Soup Kitchen, Manchester, 
8th Nov - The Louisiana, Bristol, supporting Estrons
9th Nov - Bodega, Nottingham, supporting Estrons
14th Nov - The Cavern, Exeter, supporting Estrons
15th Nov - The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham, supporting Estrons
16th Nov - The Green Door Store, Brighton, supporting Estrons
24th Nov - Dirty Weekender Festival, Bakers, Kilmarnock
25th Nov - EH6 Festival, Leith Theatre, Edinburgh
28th Nov - The Great Escape 'First Fifty', The Courtyard Theatre, London