Album Review: Lou Roy – 'Pure Chaos'
LA’s latest arrival to queer pop extravaganza, Lou Roy, shares dazzling debut album ‘Pure Chaos’.
As immersive as it is eclectic, ‘Pure Chaos’ packs an abundance of captivating, genre-bending tracks that effortlessly shift from serene to anthemic and make melancholy feel almost euphoric. In an attempt to capture the age-old urge of giving meaning to life’s never-ending chaos, Lou has created an album that resonates; a record that reflects the core of what it means to be human: to find joy in the simple things, liberation in uncertainty, and take every day as it comes.
Powerful opening track ‘Valkyrie’ leads into the album with disarming percussions and driving rhythms - a recurring sonic theme, the record’s beating heart if you will, that gives life even to the more solemn tracks like atmospheric ‘U.D.I.D’ or emotional ‘If We Were Strangers’, a brave reflection on Lou’s strained relationship with her parents.
With its soft guitars and tender inflexions ‘Pure Chaos’ feels like a sunshine record despite its less than sunny themes. An album characterised by Lou’s gorgeously warm vocals and her innate ability to craft beautiful soundscapes from the most unusual materials (listen up for the percussive rustle of a Snickers wrapper on stunning acapella moment ‘Big Anvil’). But the biggest head turner, the icing on an already spectacular cake, is penultimate track ‘Dream’ that serves as the record’s statement piece and makes Lou’s debut truly unforgettable. Big emotions meet big ambitions in a heart-wrenching, string-led chorus as Lou lets her ethereal vocals take centre stage: “Dream, baby, it’s different in real life.”
Vibrant, engaging, seductive. ‘Pure Chaos’ sets the tone for Lou Roy’s future releases in a way that doesn’t set a tone at all. She can do It all. Anything is possible. And it makes keeping an eye on this extraordinary woman all the more exciting!
Words by Laura Freyaldenhoven
