Låpsley - These Elements (2019)

Holly Lapsley Fletcher’s debut album, Long Way Home, was a project beloved by fans including Billie Eilish. Four years on, the Merseyside singer-songwriter is back to tackle “emotional love, physical desire, depression and self-worth,” she says in the album’s press release, on a quartet of tracks. Opener “My Love Was Like the Rain” is a reminder of how her powerful voice fits perfectly over slow-building electronics, while “Eve” weaves a thumping bassline around vulnerable lyrics. On the tender “Ligne 3,” she channels Kate Bush while detailing the breakdown of a long-term relationship, before closer “Drowning” layers crystalline vocals over glitchy production. It’s a tantalizing snapshot of an artist’s evolution ahead of album two.