CD REVIEW: LACEY STURM – Life Screams

Label: FOLLOWSPOT Records

Release Date: February 12, 2016

Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

Lacey Sturm recently dropped her solo debut, but this singer is no stranger to the music world.  As lead singer for Flyleaf, Lacey made a name for herself and a lot of fans along the way.  With Life Screams, she steps out into the limelight on her own, and she does so with authority, even tackling a classic rock track on this disc.  Lead single “Impossible” opens the disc and sets the pace for the remainder of the collection.  The vocals range a bit from signing to a little screaming and back again.  The emotion behind her vocals draw attention to the lyrics and the delivery is perfectly matched.  “The Soldier” in an anthemic track that have a great groove and cadence that grabs a hold of you at the chorus and doesn’t let go.  The tempo is perfectly controlled by the drums while Sturm’s vocal fills and a cool guitar solo carry the bridge.  “Vanity” is an interesting piece that offers up a melancholic music track that lay underneath a weird ‘discussion’ before “Rot” takes the piece and the disc to another level.  Listening to Sturm’s vocals on this track, you can’t help but feel the range of emotions she is trying to convey.  The guitars, bass, and drums add punch to the track.  “Feels Like Forever” starts off softly and showcases Lacey’s voice.  As the verse morphs into a strong and driven chorus, the vocals maintain a steady course, giving the song stability.  The guitars throughout this song are cool without being overdone.  “Faith” continues the mellower vibe of the second half of the disc.  The vocals and guitar duet in the opening and verse are a perfect matching of different textures and sounds, without straying from the other songs on the disc.  The song gains momentum when the rhythm section kicks in at the second verse.

“I’m Not Laughing” is a guitar driven track that benefits from some cool riffs that trade off with a heavy handed bass in the bottom end.  Lacey’s vocals are fun and seem to frolic on top of the musical accompaniment.  While bordering on her familiar scream vocal, Sturm reels it in and sticks with her rich vocal and singing.  “You’re Not Alone” opens with a patient flat lining, and the melancholic mood of the track at the verse is the perfect continuation of that opening.  The chorus bursts onto the scene and breathes life into the song.  The emotion of the song is real and the lyrics, while possibly introspective for Sturm, strike the heart of anyone who has experienced some sort of loss.  The title track “Life Screams” has a beautiful piano intro that swirls in the mix with percussion and Sturm’s voice.  This song helps you appreciate her sound and talent.  This is one of those songs that would sound as good stripped down and done acoustically or as a piano-only track.  Lacey and band take on The Police’s “Roxanne” for a live rendition that demonstrates the soft and hard sides of Sturm’s delivery.  The verse and parts of the chorus are gentle and precise, while her vocals turn to screams and ad libs that carry the bridge and closing portion of the track.  Her band plays this classic with a twist that matches her vocals.  Disc closer “Run To You” wraps up the collection with a ballad-like track that weaves Lacey’s beautiful voice with guitars that grow slowly through the verse and into the chorus.  The songs arrangement allows the singer to tackle a different vibe without staying from the mood and feel of the other songs and the disc as a whole.  It should be interesting to see where these songs take when she plays them live or decides to move onto new material.

​Tracklisting: Impossible – The Soldier – I’m Not Laughing – Vanity – Rot – You’re Not Alone – Feels Like Forever – Life Screams – Faith – Roxanne (Live) – Run To You

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Category: CD Reviews