EXCLUSIVE Pre-Release Review : Lauren Strange’s ‘Say Yes’ EP

Lauren Strange

‘Say Yes’

Peculiar, offbeat, erratic, newfangled and then there’s Strange, I was hoping to somehow squeeze in a Doctor Strange reference in here as well but alas it’s nor the time or the place. Either way i’m back yet again with another little piece worth writing about and this time

Memphis has brought to light some truly amazing talent, hell if it wasn’t for a little place called Sun Records we would have never had the King of Rock and Roll and that right there would have changed a lot of things but this is speaking figuratively so let’s speak in the present dimension (got that Doctor Strange reference after all). Aside from birthing the career of one ‘The King’ it also was the starting point for our lady in lights; Lauren Strange. Since the age of 9 this here Tennessee native has been winning  awards for songwriting and she’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Her first release ‘The Strange’ received countless honours and immense recognition from such fine establishments as the John Lennon International Songwriting Contest, the American Songwriter Lyric Contest, and the Mountain Stage NewSong Songwriting Competition and she’s gone on to do many many other wonderful things but let’s jump ahead to the future, let’s jump ahead to her new EP ‘Say Yes.’

Coming back onto the scene with a new 3 song EP, Lauren Strange graces us with an effervescent personality and some truly catchy vibes. Trying to pin point a genre is always a tough thing to do sometimes, and thats very much the case with Lauren. She sounds a little bit indie, a little be popish, and a little bit country which in the end creates this odd amalgamation of music. Starting everything off with a track called ‘Johnny’ (Listen here exclusively via our friends at Alt Sounds), Lauren and her Pretty Killers bring their A game and you can really get a good sense of what this girl can do with her voice. It’s the heaviest track you’re going to get on the EP and it gets you perfectly synced up and ready for the other two follow ups. Yes I know sometimes putting the fastest song up front will sometimes leave your audience spent and wanting to keep the pace up but in this case pay no mind to that, it works and if you don’t believe me check it out yourselves.

‘Runner’ starts off with a riff that seems perfectly lifted from the late 90’s early 00’s which works as a great throw back and puts you right back in the nostalgic feeling that everyone seems to love to be in. What really gets me with this song though is the fact that even though it’s less than 3 minutes, she manages to perfectly weave a story with her lyrics and really shows her talent with songwriting. It’s catchy and will leave you humming it back to yourself, and humming to yourself is the tell tale sign of something that is perfectly written.

So let’s slow things down for the last track, ‘Say Yes’ to me has a bit of that country feel to it which i’ll be the first to admit, country isn’t really my thing but occasionally I’ve been known to put on the old denim on denim combo and crank up some Alan Jackson (he’s got some great christmas music). Home life aside Lauren once again knocks it out of the park with lyrics that really resonate through and stretching her voice to make you really feel what she’s singing which in the end is all that really matters right? Music that can make you feel things and all that mushy stuff and she’s got a hell of a talent in doing that.

Currently the album is up for preorder and you should probably get on that, be one of those cool kids who get in while the irons hot and get over your preconceived issue of ‘well this track sounds a bit country’ and ‘this song makes me feel things’ you can always man up after (or woman up). 

-James Sparrow

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laurenstrange.com