All hail our very own electric queen! Ladyhawke has returned and delivered Anxiety, her sophomore album. This album is simply an illustrious glitter bomb of synthetic indie pop.
We enter the album with 'Girl Like Me', a song which cruises into the electro-pop swag that is Ladyhawke. This album is heavily guitar driven which adds another dimension to the synthesised sound that has characterised this artist. 'Sunday Drive' the second single released from Anxiety, follows. Its an easy and smooth dance track, showcasing the effortless manner in which Ladyhawke has crafted this album. She never overdoes anything. This album is gorgeously pieced together, and the tracks all fit so well.
'Black, White and Blue' will be instantly recognised and was a great choice for a first single, as it is so addictive. A heavy bass line leads in 'Vaccine,' a grooving number that has that 80's synth-pop element manifested within it. 'Blue Eyes' captures the attention with a ripping drum beat, and is a song that will find you singing along in no time.
Other highlights on the album are the brooding beat of 'Quick and the Dead' and the slower-paced 'Cellophane' which is a beautiful lullaby-esque track. The harmonies in the title track 'Anxiety' are simply captivating.
This album is slightly darker and edgier than her debut. With a title like Anxiety one could expect a melancholic album of psycho-analytical proportions. But Ladyhawke waves her wand across the album and instead of it being some sort of self-indulgent confessional she has brilliantly produced a glittering work of spunky indie pop/rock. It is anything but leaden. It sparkles with freedom rather than being oppressive. This indicates the musical dexterity of Ladyhawke and how Anxiety, while being an outlet for her, is also an infectious and capitavity album listeners will not just like, but treasure.
She does not get wrapped up in herself or the acclaim she has garnered so far in her career, a rookie mistake often made by artists that are hyped up after their debut. In fact Ladyhawke has conquered the 'sophomore album flop' trap that artists often fall into. She skipped the typical identity crisis artists often go through. Anxiety is equally as good as her self-titled first album, and dare I say, it may even surpass it. Here is an artist that is going from strength to strength. She has stamped her electro-boot down and proclaimed that Ladyhawke is here to stay.
-Janise.
Having cut her teeth playing in Wellington band Two Lane Black Top, and Sydney act Teenager, Pip Brown’s incredible knack for a catchy pop hook coupled with an 80's rock chic ambiance was quickly noticed when she began releasing tracks online as Ladyhawke in 2008. She was signed to a major label, moved to the UK, and her eponymous solo debut album made her hot property across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
She toured relentlessly, and picked up multiple NZ Music Awards, ARIAs, and nominations for Brit Awards, MTV Awards, and NME Awards. Pip’s songwriting connected because it managed to be both aspirational and relatable. She seemed effortlessly cool and distinctive but also just like a best mate, and while her music and art beautifully conjure a bold and fantastical world, they also capture her genuine, personable nature.
The darker, more guitar-based record Anxiety followed in 2012, before the bright and breezy pop of Wild Things arrived in 2016 – each album a kind of reaction to the one that came before.