Review Summary: A quick introduction to a singer songwriter breaking through.
Lizzy Farrall is a UK singer songwriter landing on the already very congested scene with this brand new EP,
All I Said Was Never Heard. Lizzy is backed by Pure Noise Records, which as you may know, is home to bands like Counterparts, Can't Swim and The Story So Far among others.
At first, Lizzy Farrall sounds, plain and simple, like every other troubadour spitting truths to the wind but if one pushes deeper into her sound, it becomes tangible that Farrall's voice has enormous staying power. Her songwriting might put her above the line in the future, although the material in
All I Said Was Never Heard is already engaging and calls back for repeated listens. It is in her lyricism where her music feels a bit naive and lack the exuberance and gracefulness of, for example, Julien Baker or Phoebe Bridgers.
Right into the album, the first two tracks "Broken Toy" and "Pack of Wolves" are not short of ravishing choruses but the real stand out of Farrall's introduction letter is the third track, "Better With", a noticeably up-tempo pop-rock tune that really suits her strong singing style. Unfortunately, the appointed single is left alone in the midst of the more folky approach of the rest of the tracks. which gives the impression of "Better With" being an experiment with a harder sound or just an isolated hit that Lizzy couldn't recreate twice.
"Better Off" serves as a thematic counterpart for "Better With", where the latter is meant to represent the blooming sparks of flourishing newfound love, "Better Off" relates to the... well, the consequent and following loss. "Hollow Friends" closes the act with another acoustic endeavor where Farrall's back band and studio arrangements have enough space to shine, paving their way and building up to a proper finale.
All I Said Was Never Heard is indeed beautifully produced, with special mention to the fantastic drumming that supports four of the five tracks.
In conclusion, Lizzy Farrall has managed to craft an appealing mini-album that settles the course for the young artist through an overcrowded scene, proving she has the hardware to make it to the other side if she is able to sharpen the round edges in her upcoming efforts.
