REVIEW: Lyrics Born - As U Were

Lyrics Born
As U Were
(Epitaph)
(out of 5)

The theme of As U Were is obvious from a quick glance at the tracklist, which features titles such as ‘Kontrol Phreak’, ‘I Wanna B W/U’, ‘Coulda Woulda Shoulda’ and ‘Lies X 3’, to name but a few. Add ‘(What Happened 2 Our) Love Affair?’, which concludes the set, and yes this does appear to be a break up album - but that doesn’t make As U Were a drab affair.

Quite the opposite in fact; if you ignore the torment inspired lyrical content, this is a rather uplifting experience. The theme of deception starts via an upbeat instrumental on the aforementioned ‘Kontrol Phreak’, with playful piano keys lifted straight from a ‘best of the 80s’ meets a bassline stolen from a blue movie of the same era.

By the time it collides with a computerised backing singer, your tapping toes and nodding head will distract you from the fact she’s saying “All I want to do is be by your side / All I want is to control your life”. As U Were is a musical tour of an extensive collection of soul claps, synthesisers, guitars, bass, the odd trumpet - not to mention a variety of drum breaks that can only be assembled by digging for them the old fashioned way.

Overall, it’s a journey worth taking.

By Joachim Hackshaw