Canadian singer-songwriter Rebecca Lappa reinvents herself on new EP Tales Of A Taurus. Inspired to become a musician after attending a Taylor Swift concert, Lappa follows in her footsteps by transforming her typical rootsy folk into this indie-pop six-song collection.
Alongside added inflections of new-wave and rock, Lappa explores various facets of love and its consequences on Tales Of A Taurus with captivating storytelling and luscious sonic textures throughout.
Opening track and new single released today ‘Your One’ delivers a massive statement of intent for Lappa’s new direction. Altered vocals, layered synths, and catchy songwriting – the refrain “I don’t want to be your one in a million / I just wanna be your one” – will run through the minds of listeners endlessly – dominate in this tale of forgetting the past and embracing the love of today.
Having set her course for pop on ‘Your One’, the rest of the EP follows suit, displaying varied other influences. Single ‘Blue Lips’ could soundtrack an 80s action movie with its new-wave style flanged basslines and urgent guitar solos, as Lappa masterfully spins an icy metaphor for unrequited love out across the song’s duration. Similarly, ‘Lolita’ combines the witchy sound of solo Stevie Nicks with inspiration from the eponymous Nabokov novel into a compellingly dark and sensual cut.
Speaking of witches, the self-assured ‘Witch’s Way’ brings a straight-up Dolly Parton stomp allowing Lappa’s roots to still shine through. In this vein, ‘Forecast’ sees her vocals skip folksily across the top of a shimmering accompaniment. The track further displays Lappa’s adeptness in extending metaphors, as she warns that the weather isn’t looking promising for her relationship: “It’s been snowing since September / Losing hope of getting better / Cracked concrete / You and me”.
Lappa closes the EP by combining old and new on ‘Brick By Brick’. A heartfelt track imploring the subject to talk about their troubles over bottling them up, a certain country twang is present amongst the pop soundscape that Lappa sounds equally at home in.
Released right in the middle of Taurus season, this appropriately titled EP finds Rebecca Lappa in artistic transition. Leaving one hand in her folk tradition while expertly navigating her new pop landscape, Lappa remains an enthralling songwriter no matter the genre on Tales Of A Taurus.
Words by David Harrold
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