Album- Chapman Square
Artist- Lawson
In a musical world dominated by major rock bands such as
Coldplay and pop boybands such as One Direction, it’s hard to think that
another band could have major success in today’s world. But Lawson have proved
that their pop rock driven melodies and cute charm is highly infectious and has
earned them a place in the music industry, with 3 UK top ten hits to their
name. But is this band charming qualities enough to create a great debut album?
Track 1- Standing In
the Dark
The opening track is a pop rock ballad that speaks of a guy realising
that his ex has moved on but that he is just left feeling hurt and having not
moved on. It’s a great opener in that it exhibits the bands ability to craft
great pop songs well, with the chorus being a simplistic, radio friendly
offering that features a good hook and some nice vocal key changes from lead
singer Andy Brown. The clattering guitars and drums give the song a sombre but
not too melancholic flavour to the track that gives the track more power than
if it had been a simple piano driven ballad. And the vocals of Brown are good
in having a lightness to them that gives a sense of pain, although the chorus
perhaps stretches his ability a little.
3.5/5
Track 2- Gone
With its wailing and rousing introduction this is definitely
a track that is meant to be performed live. It follows the same vein as the
previous track as it speaks of how the relationship has gone sour and
everything that this couple were is gone. And whilst structurally it is very
similar in terms of certain lyrical repetition and the power of the chorus, the
contrast within the rocky chorus and more subtle verses is very nice, and with
his vocal tone Brown allows the sentiment of the track to really shine. A more
up tempo flavouring here also allows the group to shine as a band with a
predominate rock edge, and whilst it’s very pop, it still features some rousing
production that might please some non-pop fans.
3.5/5
Track 3- Taking Over
Me
This track offers a bit more diversity as it features a
happier sound lyrically and sonically, with simple pop hook being really clichéd,
but with the light vocal tone and “oooooh” motif it is simply irresistible. The
deeper vocal verses really compliment the high key chorus well, and it’s
definitely one of the best vocal performances by Brown. The lyrics are very
much throwaway pop but have that hook that many will just simply identify with,
and the powerful but light drums and guitar just give a really happy, fresh
sound to the track.
4/5
Track 4- Everywhere
You Go
This mid to up tempo offering is a nice change of pace that
is just that little bit different in terms of sound, enough to sound a bit more
intriguing and not just another pop rock number. This is providing through the
almost synth like beats that are mainly heard within the verses of the track,
giving a little bit of a deviation from their standard guitar based sound,
although that is very much still present. The lyrics are just more throwaway pop
as the idea of being there everywhere your lover goes feels like a very already
done concept, although the vocal tone of Brown is nice in giving a little bit
of sincerity to the song.
3/5
Track 5- Waterfall
Okay so this song is very much in the same vein as the
previous songs and so in this case you might just be a little bit bored. The
heartbreak driven lyrics try to give a cool spin on the topic with the
employment of the metaphor of climbing a waterfall, but it just isn’t enough
for the song to sound really good. And the guitars feel like the same as the
previous track, as well as the vocal, so it’s just at this point you can worry
that these are definitely one trick kind of people.
2/5
Track 6- When She Was
Mine
The guitar rhythms are a little bit clunky within this track
and sound just fresh enough to differentiate the track from the previous songs.
But with the lyrics it feels like they wrote it in the same session as Standing
In the Dark, just with this song they try to employ an up tempo sound. There
are some nice chilled out sounds to the song, and the idea of reflecting on a
relationship is quite a nice sentiment, but lyrically the track could be a bit
more thought provoking, despite the good pop hook. And the vocals just sound a
little bit so so for this song, with the lightness of Brown’s tone perhaps not
conveying the sentiment of the track to it’s full potential.
3/5
Track 7- Make It
Happen
The stop and start drum introduction to this track marks it
as having a bit of a bite to it and this is definitely a nice change of pace
from the lovelorn songs that have really led the album. The lyrics are
simplistic but cut straight into your mind, particularly with the hook of “Make
It Happen” that is simply repeated to give that live for the moment element to
the song. Although the lightness of his voice doesn’t really strengthen the
song there is a minor sense of passion within the strong vocal performance on
the track, and the harder rock edge on the track gives a good energy to the
track that definitely builds to a good finish. Plus the stop and start drums
within the song are noting new but
equally so good.
3/5
Track 8- Learn To
Love Again
The only track not produced by John Shanks is a nice game
changer for the band as the pop rock sound of the other tracks takes a little
bit of a back seat here for a little pop dance driven sound, although this is
pretty minimal and that rock edge still remains. But it’s fresh and means that
the track is boring, and for once their talking about the survival love, with
the “ooooh” choral vocal giving a sense of passion to the track. The key change
in the chorus is also cool, and the track just has a powerful energy to it that
makes it sound like a get up and jump around number and something that would
sound good live.
3.5/5
Track 9- Stolen
This track brings the pop rock sound back to the fore and is
just bland at this point as it’s nothing we haven’t heard from the band before.
Whilst the tone might be quite cool, the lyrics just don’t stick with you and
the vocal seems just that bit lacklustre, and so at this point you kind of think
they need to maybe end the album sooner rather than later.
1.5/5
Track 10- You’ll
Never Know
The “mmm” vocal start of the track marks it as a potentially
sweet number that’s little less powerful and a bit musically diverse. But the
track just goes into pop rock, I’m so sad that this relationship is over mode,
and so the band just feel like they are trying to fill the record to the brim
rather than creating a record that is diverse and cool but this coherent.
1.5/5
Track 11- You Didn’t
Tell Me
Okay so Lawson should have skipped the last two tracks and
just got to this song, which I’m not saying is great but is a little bit more
toned down in sound and so sounds just that little bit nicer and more
emotionally invested. Still it’s very much we know who you are Lawson
territory.
2/5
Track 12- The Girl I
Knew
The albums closer is an acoustically driven number that is
such a refreshing reprieve from the main sound of the record you just which it
would have come sooner. The light guitar and violin production is just so
beautifully simple and really works well with Brown’s vocal tone, and because of
the simplicity the heartbreak of the song can really tangibly come through to
the listener, with lyrics being simplistic but astute and heartfelt. It is a
little bit of little too late in terms of the filler you have to endure to get
to the end, but it’s still worth the wait just a little.
3.5/5
Final Review
Okay so Lawson are a good band who can produce some solid
pop hits that are hook driven and can get a bit stuck in your head. But
listening to their album makes me think that they are just single driven
artists, as their sound just isn’t good enough to keep you interested for a
whole album. And this is primarily due to a lack of musical diversity as well a
different subject matters, and so this is something the boys really do need to
address.
4.5/10
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