EP Review: Lauran Hibberd - 'Everything Is Dogs'
Beneath the saccharine delivery and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, there’s something special about Lauran Hibberd which demands attention. Her ability to capture the #feels of an entire generation, and to voice them in a way that doesn’t seem too cliché, is simply just magic. Her debut EP ‘Everything is Dogs’ is a multifaceted look at one of the brightest sparks on the new music scene.
As a millennial who had an absent father and who is struggling to work two jobs; afford to pay rent; have a good night’s sleep; and try to have some kind of social life amidst the weight of all of those things, it would be a bit of an understatement to say that I haven’t contemplated just giving it all up for the chance to be looked after by an older, rich gentleman. That being said – when you actually stop to contemplate what the repercussions of it all may be – there’s something kind of seedy about the whole thing. To save you from those spiralling thoughts, in the lead single ‘Sugardaddy’ Lauran offers the idea that if you find someone old enough, he might not need to be around for too long – “He’s old enough to treat me properly / in five more years he might die in his sleep.”
This idea of putting words to the unspeakable has become one of Lauran Hibberd’s trademarks. For example: ‘Frankie’s Girlfriend’ is about having to deal with the baggage and drama of your friend’s partner. We’ve all been there – the person isn’t the nicest you’ve ever met, but because your mate is head-over-heels, you have to suck it up and pretend to get along. If ‘soundtrack to the lives in an American high-school’ can be thought of as a genre, Lauran’s queen of the crop. Birthed from an accidental discovery of the Americanism ‘Hoochie’ – which is actually the name of her dog – the song itself is an obsessive love tale which exudes confidence that borderlines arrogance. On the complete opposite side of things is ‘Shark Week’ in its mostly acoustic delivery is something we haven’t seen much of, from Lauran, but the stark contrast is most welcome, as her quick tongue is still ever present: “I long for you to have nothing to do so we could sit in your car / we could play fake news like did you hear Karlie Kloss was a dude?”
As someone who is snowballing ahead into the music industry, Lauran Hibberd’s debut EP more than delivers. It satisfies and leaves you wanting more, at the same time.
Words by Tyler Damara Kelly
‘Everything Is Dogs EP’ will be released the 20th September 2019