Go by Lolahol | Album Review
Lourdes Leon makes her sonic debut with this trip-hop-coated electronic release.
Simply saying the name Lourdes Leon might not strike any bells to some, but the 27-year-old has lived quite the life in the spotlight as Madonna’s eldest daughter. Having only made music for fun on her own, she was coaxed by friend Eartheater, real name Alexandra Drewchin, to record her work. The duo teamed up to create her debut EP Go. Instead of a heavy pop-trenched banger, the duo decided to delve into the realms of trip-hop on her debut release.
The EP opens with the slinky sound of “Cuntradiction.” The production longtime friend and electronic musician Eartheater. The duo creates this chilly trip-hop vibe that crawls forward in a similar way to that of Portsihead. Leon’s vocals ripple and hum hypnotically through the blue fuzzy that coats the piece. Lourdes's voice pulls and pushes in the same way she does emotionally with her partner throughout, “I search for cover from you but with you/ I want a version of you, not the whole thing/ Try to avoid you but welcome you in/ ’Cause I wanted it to last but I want it to end.” The feline-like finicky nature of her words works nicely with the sensual yet dangerous atmosphere of the song.
The first song Leon and Eartheater composed for this album was “Giovanni’s Room.” The production entangles you in an electronic haze of tension. Lourdes brings a clear pained sexuality to the piece as she coos, “I lift his script to my lips and turn the pages in my head/ Flip my cheeks to press ’em on your chest/ Can you breathe for me instead?/ Won’t caress me when I’m angry, you need space between your thoughts/ Spend my days watching the TV screen, my mom says I look lost.” It’s a treacherous kind of passion that seems to fight giving in and running away. Eartheater’s soundscape only amplifies the feeling through the warped, flow of beats and synth.
“Not Pussy” brings a bit more of a modern spin to this chill vibe that has come through the EP thus far. Lourdes’s vocals keep this husky, languorous tone that coats the song in a sensuous sound. She challenges her lover to put up or shut up when it comes to the way they’ve been toying with her, “Jump in, jump out of my spirit/ Every dream I have is lucid/ You only comes to me at night/ Pep talk, all I’m hearing is trash talk/ Put your money where your mouth was/ Are you in or are you not?” Though I like the mellow quality of the track, something about the sudden callouts of “Pussy, pussy, pussy,” feel disjointed from the rest of the song. Its lack of cohesion keeps it from really connecting with me.
“Purple Apple” brings in more of a club-orient tonality to this trip-hop sound that Leon and Eartheater have been experimenting with. There is almost a subtle Eastern swing to the synths that back this metallic, electronic realm. Lourdes uses the song to call out all those who only absorb what they need from her and then throw out the remainder, “Chеw, spit, spew/ Spit on me/ Melt mе down/ Lay me down/ I’m your food/ Feed off me/ Spit me out/ Leave me be.” Personally, this is probably my least favorite from this release. Everything becomes quite disjointed by the song’s latter half to the point that it almost clashes. Even the backing vocals feel dissonant in a way that doesn’t compliment the theme or Leon’s vocals.
The final song from this project is the lead single “Lock&Key.” I am pleased to hear the mixture of breakbeat percussion gracing the aqueous trip-hop tone of this track. Lourdes’s thicker vocal style pours nicely over this sizzling pan of sound. Leon wishes to lock in this rose-tented world that she’s in over this new love (she even gives a nod to an old Lady Gaga interview from 2011 that since has been memed heavily), “Snap you in and out of my direction/ Running to you from both ends/ Wanna keep you close for my protection/ The delusion keeps me safe/ No sleep, next plane, no sleep/Makeup, next club, next car/ Next plane, no sleep, no fear.” I think this gel-like viscosity mixed with the fizz of the backing beat works nicely through Lourdes’s lens.
I had no expectations going into this album. As many would, you have a sense of pause when you learn of an artist’s famous parents. Putting those notions aside, I was pleasantly surprised by the majority of this project. Clearly, Eartheater had a vision for where she wanted to take Lourdes on this album. The duo must have been inspired by the likes of Portishead, Sneaker Pimps, and Poe. The EP is encrusted in a rime of trip-hop frost. Where it falters is from the lack of cohesion from the more attitude-driven tracks. There is a lopsided finish that makes “Not Pussy” and “Purple Apple” come off as abrasive to me. Hearing her latest release, “Spelling,” it is clear that Lourdes is beginning to gain more of a footing over the vibe she wants to accomplish with her sound. My overall thoughts on Go:
Loved it: “Cuntradiction”, “Giovanni’s Room” & “Lock&Key”
Liked it: None
Disliked it: “Not Pussy” & “Purple Apple”
My overall rating: 6.0 out of 10.
