In 2017, Lorde released her album “Melodrama.” With a consistent vibe and tone, Lorde effectively conveyed sadness throughout. Listening to “Solar Power” by Lorde, however, is an unexpected shift. “Solar Power” was a long day at the beach after a rainy spring.
The shift in Lorde’s style is apparent in the album’s first song, “The Path.” As it began, I noticed a lot of mellow guitars and minor chords, and expected an extension of her previous album. However, around the middle of the song, the use of minor chords slowed. Upbeat major chords became more prevalent as more instruments entered the song.
This represented a tonal shift from the more melancholy music on “Melodrama” to something noticeably happier. The rest of the song, as well as the next song, “Solar Power,” reflected that tone, with bouncy drums and happy chords.
The shift in tone was done flawlessly. I perceived it as Lorde breaking away from her comfort zone and experimenting with something more unfamiliar, a risk I always appreciate an artist taking.
A common complaint I’ve seen about this album is that it’s “too happy,” and that Lorde should stick to writing sad songs.
I disagree; with so much sadness in the world, the positivity is a welcome change of pace from the bombardment of negativity we’ve experienced lately.
And, for the true-blue Lorde fans who don’t enjoy the happier songs, there’s still a fair share of sadder songs on the album as well. Actually, the middle of this album goes back and forth between the two emotions to the point where I almost felt whiplash.
While I noticed and appreciated Lorde’s lovely voice, beautiful harmonies and descriptive lyricism throughout the album, this is where the listening experience became slightly less enjoyable for me.
The problem I found wasn’t with the songs themselves. It was that Lorde is so good at projecting emotions through her music, the quick succession grew exhausting as a listener.
However, the album was tied together nicely with the last song, “Oceanic Feeling.”
Like “The Path,” “Oceanic Feeling” does a great job of conveying nostalgia, completing the narrative that Lorde started.
Almost bittersweet, the mellow guitar and bongo-like drums mimic the end of a nice day. Through the music, Lorde almost tells us not to cry that it’s over, but to smile because it happened.
While the middle of the album wasn’t particularly exciting for me, Lorde’s voice, lyricism and choice of tones made for an enjoyable experience, especially at the beginning and end. This album was refreshing and comforting, a much-needed change from uglier weather. And while I don’t think I’ll have this album on repeat, a trip to the beach every so often will be nice.
For the future, I hope Lorde continues to explore the happier sounds found in this album, as it’s a great change of pace for her music.
RATING: 7/10
• FAVORITES: THE PATH, SOLAR
POWER, MOOD RING
• LEAST FAVORITES: THE MAN
WITH THE AXE, DOMINOES
