I still can’t decide whether it’s a good or a bad idea for ukulele-toting Londoner Liz Lawrence to play up her Irish roots. Her soulful take on acoustic folk certainly blends in nicely with the Irish soundscape, especially around the part where acts like James Vincent McMorrow, Lisa Hannigan and Villagers emit their delicate noises, but with Ireland churning out singer-songwriters by the scoopful for the last, oh, 60 years or more, it’s going to be tough for this former punk guitarist to make her mark.
Still, Ms. Lawrence, whose mum hails from Westport, wasn’t about to let her lineage go to waste, so, as well as a trotting out on several Irish tours, she drafted in Tim Ross, son of Tralee folk legend Christy Hennessy, to produce her debut album.
Lawrence’s own musical history is barely palpable on the ten-tracker, which shows little evidence of a youth spent in punk and ska bands. The odd reggae vibe makes it through, but for the most part it’s affectionate, quizzical folk, straight-up.
Bedroom Hero is inspired by just that: an industrious, daydreaming singer-songwriter who, in her own world, is already a rockstar. Naturally, many of the songs revolve around matters of the home; there’s a handful of rose-tinted tracks about growing up (‘Bedroom Hero’, ‘Black & Blue’) and making her parents proud (‘Give Me Comfort’, ‘When I Was Younger’).
Vocally, Lawrence’s closest relative is Laura Marling, although Ms. Marling has never sounded as chirpy as Lawrence does on feelgood ditty ‘Monday Morning’. The catchiest thing on the record is a rousing number called ‘Oo Song’, although in truth there’s a gentle hook around every corner.
The woozy ‘Bathroom Spoons’ is a clear standout, as Lawrence croons divinely over a chorus of echoey shoops. She’s created a similar effect on the heartstring-tugging ‘Fool’s Gold’, which I can already picture playing out over the sensitive climax of an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.
Other tracks don’t leave quite so strong an impression, but for the most part, this is a straight-up success. If Lawrence wrote Bedroom Hero as a tribute to the singer-songwriter, she’s done a first-class job.