Lorde // Pure Heroine
It’s been said in other reviews of Lorde’s “Pure Heroine” that she mentions being bored twice in the first twenty seconds of the first track. This is true, but I don’t think she’s disaffected or jaded. She’s 17 and her lyrics make you want to pick up your friends and just driiiiive.
Lorde’s voice is somewhere between Lana Del Rey’s sultry alto and Florence Welch’s theatric wail-vibrations.
The vibe of this record includes a barrage of emotion constrained into a monotone voice and for some reason, I’m totally into that. For example, I heard this awesome band Clawhammer this weekend at the Blackthorn and they had this statuesque chick, not unlike Katharine Whalen from “Squirrel Nut Zippers”, standing almost on the outside of the rest of the band playing washboard. She was good at it, but she barely moved as she played, and her face was deadpan, even when she sang. I imagine this is Lorde’s visage live, having only heard the record and not seen her videos, though I’m told she stares at you through the screen without blinking. Sounds about right.
I can’t even describe the effect Lorde has on me. “Pure Heroine” has the ability to transport me back to 11th grade within those first “bored” twenty seconds. It captures that summer after junior year (I know, it’s like REALLY specific) when you’ve just begun to feel the prickling of adult depression and you’re trying to pretend you didn’t see it creeping up on you. You’re young enough that turning your head and sticking your fingers in your ears is enough to block out that Grey Beast, at least for a few more years. You’re starting to feel old, even though you’re not…at ALL. To be completely honest with you, I don’t feel that differently now.
I have a feeling you could play this album at some awkward hangout with old friends from high school that you haven’t seen since high school (like maybe a reunion?) and suddenly everyone would clink their Pabst cans in solidarity. Then someone would suggest going out to vandalize something. Perhaps Lorde is a bad influence, but if loving “Pure Heroine” is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Best Lyric: “Nothing’s wrong if nothing’s true…I live in a hologram with you.”
Best Track: Glory and Gore
Overall Rating: 3/5
