As we were kicked into the summer feels with Lorde’s invigorating first single and title track ‘Solar Power’ in early June, we already grasp a sense of her new musical direction. As the cherry black lipstick is “gathering dust in a drawer”, she ventures for an ethereal “prettier Jesus” summer glow. Her electronic heavy beats met with heartfelt narratives that fuelled her past two albums with such intensity, traded for softer acoustic guitars that sometimes fail to deliver that musical contrast that make Lorde songs so iconic. However, one thing she’s proved once again, she is still “Queen B” when it comes to her poetic pop lyricism.
The song ‘Solar Power’ remains a highlight of the record, tactfully introducing the naturistic theme that Lorde utilises to connect a record exploring multiple subject matters. In the song she preaches the values of connecting with nature and how it helped her drown out the sometimes-overwhelming influence of a celebrity lifestyle – “and I throw my cellular device in the water”. This converse is complementrily carried by a refrained acoustic guitar loop; however, the song starts to build with the backing harmonies propelling you higher and higher on your one-way ticket on the Sunshine Express, eventually reaching a sun-soaked brass infused last chorus, that closely resembles a slightly less inspiring version of the joyous 90’s tune ‘Freedom!’ by George Michael.
Her following two tracks ‘California’ and ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’ explore similar topics but provide a very different listening experience. ‘California’ is one of the few tracks that really lets the music do the talking. The production on the vocals and eerie synth provide a nostalgic, psychedelic narrative to the song over an intricate yet unforced wistful dream-pop style melody. While in ‘Stoned at the Nail Salon’, we’re reminded of Lorde’s unmistakable talent to lay out a story, as she reminiscently delivers some of her strongest lyrics over a stripped back acoustic guitar, seemingly a breakup ballad to her celebrity lifestyle.
‘Fallen Fruit’ is another highlight of the album, serving as an effective climate change song- a difficult topic to pull off musically. Replicating the intensity of her last album Melodrama, it creates a haunting atmosphere as she directly addresses the generations before us whose actions will continue to haunt our life on earth – “to the ones that came before us”. The acoustic guitar is utilised well to carry the songs momentum while the layered synth and piano instrumentation create the eerie atmosphere of a deserted planet.
As we move into the second half of the album, the Sunshine Express seems to have hit a crash landing at Mediocre City. ‘Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)’ and ‘Mood Ring’ are pleasingly rhythmic but ‘The Man with the Axe’ and ‘Big Star’ lack replay value as the lyrics get lost in a very monotonous, all too familiar acoustic guitar support.
Solar Power embraces a more didactic and reflective tone than Lorde’s previous albums. She has moved on from supplying the soundtrack to our teenage years and instead delivered a more holistic and self-conscious overview of her current state of mind. This in turn has produced her least emotionally engaging work to date as she explores unrelatable themes of fame and fortune, however this doesn’t come as much of a loss to the album as it remains authentic with disregard for commercial success. Although in places the album lacks excitement in its musicality, it invites great introspection while bringing a strong sense of simplicity as Lorde advises us all to “breathe out and tune in”.
Rating: 3/5
