British singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas made a welcome return to the charts in 2015 with her first studio album in almost 10 years. Following a huge breakthrough in the pop world in 2004 with her debut album Breathe In, Silvas seemingly disappeared from the industry following the release of second album The Same Side in 2006. In reality she relocated to Nashville and channelled her energy into songwriting. Her 2015 album Letters to Ghosts reflected the influences of Music City, giving Silvas’ sound a Country and Americana twist. Now almost three years on since that album, she’s back with her fourth studio album E.G.O.
Thankfully we’ve not had to wait nearly a decade for this album and fans got a preview when Silvas toured the UK in late 2017. E.G.O. (which stands for Everybody Gets Off) builds on the sound Silvas established with Letters to Ghosts, pushing the boundaries further than she has before. Lead single Kite is a bouncy Americana track with a catchy chorus and of course the singer-songwriter’s soaring vocals. It’s a confident song that lyrically explores a woman with big dreams who is determined to chase them. Silvas warns, ‘boy, you better hold those strings, ’cause she’s gonna fly away’.
As you listen through E.G.O. you realise just how versatile an artist Silvas is. I’ve said it many times, and I told her myself when we spoke at C2C: Country to Country in 2017, Silvas has a timeless quality to her music that is almost genreless. She could produce her songs to pretty much any style, and that’s the sign of a real talent. Second track Girls From California is a dreamy slice of traditional Country, Smoking Your Weed is a cheeky almost bluesy number and Black Jeans leans into a soft rock vibe with a Country twang. When that’s just three of the 12 tracks here, you know you’re in for something pretty special.
Fans will notice the inclusion of My Old Habits and Just For the Record, which were released as a double A-side last year. My Old Habits is a contemplative mid-tempo track that reflects on struggling to get over a break up whilst Just For the Record’s luscious instrumentation gives way to a piano-led ballad that is bold and honest with Silvas admitting she loved someone despite not always fulfilling their needs during their relationship.
Elsewhere on the record Silvas adds grungy guitars to the foot-stompingly good First Rate Heartbreak, delivers some seriously soulful vocals on the gorgeous love ballad Everything Looks Beautiful, and E.G.O. warns of the trappings and attractions of fame and success. The highlights for me come on the beautifully yearning I Want You All to Myself and the shimmering atmospheric People Can Change, where Silvas tries to convince someone to move past the hurt they’ve caused one another.
The album comes to a close with the uplifting and ponderous Change My Mind. Silvas sings her believes but concedes that someone could come along and make her think differently. It’s a life-affirming meditation on love and the impact it has on people, and it’s a stunning end to the record.
Every time I hear a new Lucie Silvas record I feel like it’s her best work yet. That’s still the case with E.G.O., which finds the singer-songwriter at her boldest and most honest. She exposes her soul on this record and showcases her versatility as a singer, a songwriter and a musician. No two songs sound the same and nothing on this record sounds like it could have fit into any of her previous releases. With each album Silvas continues to grow as an artist and I already feel excited about what’ll she be doing next. Beautiful, accomplished and relatable, E.G.O. marks yet another home run for an artist who consistently lifts the bar and I can’t wait for Silvas to head to our shores later this year as a special guest on the Brothers Osborne tour.
Track list: 1. Kite 2. Girls From California 3. Smoking Your Weed 4. I Want You All to Myself 5. Black Jeans 6. First Rate Heartbreak 7. Everything Looks Beautiful 8. People Can Change 9. My Old Habits 10. Just For the Record 11. E.G.O. 12. Change My Mind Released by: Furthest Point / Thirty Tigers Release date: 24th August 2018
