Lucy Rose has been through it. The transformative experiences of motherhood altered her life, but pregnancy was followed by severe health issues, immobility, and prolonged self-doubt. Recorded across two days with her live band, ‘This Ain’t The Way You Go Out’ – ambitious, emotive, and completely open, it’s a gorgeous song cycle, drenched in jazz-leaning arrangements.
For those who had Lucy Rose pegged – erroneously – as an alt-folk artist, the sheer vivid musicality might come as a surprise. Yet it’s always been there, perhaps not as pronounced, but an ever-vital part of her arsenal. Wonderful opener ‘Light As Grass’ sets the tone – the piano nimble, the lyrics cathartic, the performance understated, it opens the gates for what is to follow.
A carefully constructed song cycle, ‘This Ain’t The Way You Go Out’ is both intimate and universal. ‘Could You Help Me’ is a complex dance of piano notes, but a song like ‘Life’s Too Short’ is snappy, almost classic-sounding in tone.
Refulgent and jazz-centred, this is a record that learns to embrace chance. The production from Kwes lets each instrument shine, the ensemble moving with palpable grace and unity. Take the emotional title track, with its vocal recalling “the hardest time in my life” before surging to a moment of transgressive renewal amid the string-adorned orchestration.
At times, it’s almost unbearably intimate – ‘Interlude II’ contains a baby’s cry, while the heartbeat pulse behind ‘No More’ recalls the hushed intensity of Massive Attack’s ‘Teardrop’. Art mirrors life in this instance, however, and there’s a happy ending, with closer ‘The Racket’ pausing to thank those around her – beautiful, and totally heartfelt, it’s the perfect way to finish a hugely impressive document of personal transformation.
8/10
Words: Robin Murray
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