Lorde, ‘Solar Power’ Review
Lorde, ‘Solar Power’
Universal, 2021
It’s been four years since the release of Lorde’s seminal sophomore album Melodrama, a period which has seen momentous events and seismic changes in the political and socio-cultural spheres, but which in the context of the young artist’s career has been contrastingly quiet. Since touring her last album, Lorde has released no new singles, made no features, scheduled very few performances, and made limited public and TV appearances, opting to retreat to her quiet community in her native New Zealand to see out this volatile era of global affairs. This period out of the limelight to which she has been forced to become accustomed in her still febrile career has borne its fruits in the form of her new record Solar Power. Announced a mere two months before release alongside the unexpected drop of the title track, both the imagery and the music teased for her much-anticipated third album signalled a departure from the more sombre mood of her previous work. The first thing you notice from Solar Power is the impact of the last four years on Lorde’s songwriting - she seems to have undergone a sort of refocusing, or a “recentring” in the vocabulary of wellness culture evoked on the record, that has resulted in a change of priorities or a change of attitudes in her life.
The opener The Path sets the scene for the culture shift, in which Lorde implores the sun to “show us the path” to a new future, free from the burdens and exigencies of the teenage stardom that was thrust on the artist upon the release of Royals in 2013. The song starts in her more typical sombre style, before building layer on layer of instrumentation to become a rousing pop track with an early 00’s groove. This momentum is continued with the aforementioned title track: an upbeat pop ballad that borrows heavily from Primal Scream’s Loaded. For me, this track signals two strong intentions regarding the style of this album - firstly, the obvious intention from Lorde to draw on her musical influences throughout the record, and secondly, the intention that this record should feel more intimate and more personal than her previous releases (signposted by the track’s gated guitar backing and closely mixed vocals). This track is also perhaps the most radio-friendly of the record, which as a whole feels more of a unified project that Lorde’s previous work.
The following tracks demonstrate the influence of 1960s proto-pop, folk and psychedelia on Lorde’s songwriting. Both California and Stoned at the Nail Salon feature an electric guitar texture that, whether intentionally or not, is identical to the signature guitar sound of the Velvet Underground, rooting these songs firmly within the ‘60s aesthetic. Fallen Fruit has a strongly psychedelic flavour, with its strummed folk guitar style and close reverb lead guitar melodies. While these three tracks are clearly similar in style, they all evoke different moods. California has an evanescent, otherworldly quality, reinforced by its mantra of “It’s just a dream”, while Fallen Fruit has a more cinematic aspect, as if taken from a movie soundtrack. Stoned at the Nail Salon is a compelling folk ballad with a spatial quality to its soundscape. It’s at this point that you can’t help but notice an underlying anxiety behind the thin veneer of summery contentment that Lorde is projecting on this album. She expresses a sort of overthinking and unease, of uncertainty that is undermining the strong sense of self that she has gained from isolation and introspection - “I love this life that I have…/But I wonder sometimes what I’m missing”, “It’s time to cool it down/Whatever that means”. There’s also a sense of transition and impermanence - I can’t help but read the line “All the music you loved at sixteen you’ll grow out of” as a sly dig at the indie dance pop that made Lorde famous. On the following track she sings “How can I love what I’m gonna lose?”, which all belies an uncertainty at the heart of the songwriting and creates an underlying tension to the ostensible brightness and warmth to the music.
Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All) is an example of that warmth, reintroducing the influence of early noughties’ pop with a playful, almost saccharine lyricism and bouncy groove. Then we go back to the ‘60s with the contemplative The Man with the Axe, with its indie folk instrumentals and abstract Dylanesque lyrics. Dominoes - a catchy, semi-acoustic interlude - is yet a further example of masking melancholic lyrics with upbeat musicality. Big Star is a sweet tune with somewhat caustic lyrics and so reminiscent of a Velvet Underground song that I was able to imagine the melody in Lou Reed’s iconic drawling vocals. This is followed by another interlude, Leader of a New Regime, an ironic dig at celebrity culture, before we reach Mood Ring, the final single from the album released pre-launch and, upon repeated listens, one of the more compelling listens on the record. The track is a satire on vacuous spirituality, a stinging diatribe from the very first lyric - a string of vapid nonsense in the style of “I’m tryna blow bubbles but inside…”, the syncopated guitar groove echoing the somewhat superficial music and culture of the early 2000s, but executed with a greater sense of musicality. The closing track Oceanic Feeling seems to be put forward as a sort of juxtaposition with the previous track - a laid-back ballad on the subject of tangible, earthly pleasures and the merits of an appreciation for the simpler things in life.
This song features the not-so-subtle lyric “Now the cherry-black lipstick’s gathering dust in a drawer”, signifying a tonal shift away from the songwriter’s earlier work, but I think the overall effect of this album is much more nuanced and understated than that. While on the surface Solar Power is presented as a departure from the likes of Melodrama, there is a playfulness here that belies a genuine appreciation on Lorde’s part for the style that she has established over the last eight years or so. There is a certain tongue-in-cheek nature to the lyricism that is synonymous with her approach to songwriting throughout her career. What I feel is the biggest change from Melodrama is the sense of openness and freedom on Solar Power as a whole - Lorde seems to use the higher part of her register much more in her vocals, as well as a softer vocal texture - creating a lighter, more graceful sound. The openmindedness and opportunity presented by summer are clearly the key themes of this project - Lorde has stated that the album was recorded with the doors of the Electric Lady studio opened at times to simulate the buzz and bustle of summer.
I feel that this album has qualities which have perhaps been overlooked by critics and even fans of the artist herself in their fervour for more music after a long period of anticipation. Rather than a divergence from her style, I see threads here, notably in the lyricism and production, that are carried over from the Melodrama era. I also see, under the projected confidence and defiance in the music, a vulnerability and unease that perhaps doesn’t come through on the first listen. And finally, I think a due care and attention have been placed on the instrumentation and production to the album that gives reverence to its influences. While the cultural motifs and lyrical themes aren’t perhaps as strong as on Melodrama, the careful use of concepts from the folk and psychedelia movements of the 1960s, and indeed the ‘90s revival, make this record a hugely enjoyable listen.
The Path
Solar Power
California
Stoned at the Nail Salon
Fallen Fruit
Secrets of a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)
The Man with the Axe
Dominoes
Big Star
Leader of a New Regime
Mood Ring
Oceanic Feeling