For a good number of years, Irish music has basked in the talent of Lyra, commonly known as Laura McNamara. The artist from Cork, renowned for her robust vocal prowess, has gifted her audience with numerous well-received EPs and singles, making her debut album eagerly anticipated. She’s famously comparable to Florence Welch, yet one paper amusingly labeled her “Beyoncé with a Cork accent”.
Her musical style leans towards the dance-pop genre. The album starts with America, a piece that introduces listeners to a modern, polished pop production. The sound of pieces like Drink Me Up and You are notably reminiscent of Rihanna.
Naked, a highlight track that initially visioned as a collaboration with David Guetta, blends sensuality and light-heartedness, channeling the energy of 90s house music. A sparkling rendition of Stevie Nicks’s Edge of Seventeen with the DJ John Gibbons transforms into an energetic millennial club anthem.
Lyra’s album teems with energy and vigor, but lyrically, it relentlessly flits between love, heartbreak, and relationship struggles. Some lines like “Hold me close/ You told me I’d always be the one, then you let me go” and “You left my heart out in the cold/ I can’t break any more because of you” are rather cliché.
Queen and Chess stand apart, the first being a resounding self-affirming anthem and the latter a sharp critique of the duplicity and inconsistency rampant in the music industry. Carrying a similar message, All Over Now is a synth-infused, soulful track that sends a bitter goodbye to a past lover, warning, “You had your chance, but it’s all over now.”
Lyra’s charming and amusing stage presence enlivens her performances, and her music would benefit from including more of this refreshing wit in lieu of overused romantic woes. However, despite this debut album, the best of Lyra seems promisingly yet to come. This confident initiation proves she has the ability to compete with the established names in the international pop scene.