Atmosphere is something many artists strive for in the studio. For Lyla Foy, it’s something that comes easy, it’s natural and organic. And her music is all the better for it.
Releasing her debut album Mirrors in the Sky, the term pop doesn’t quite do Miss Foy’s work much justice. Yes she’s branded in that way and yes, her songs have the quality to hold their own with the big boys of pop’s glitterati. But her song writing, delivery and above all else, sheer musical talent, are so much more than the average single spewed out of The Machine’s endless conveyor belt.
Blue but not depressed, wistful but with no remorse, Foy’s ability to weave magic from her vocal chords is enough to set her apart from the rest. Doused with a good dose of reverb and distance, Mirrors The Sky is work that will announce the young singer to the world in a big way.
Opening with the dreamy ‘Honeymoon’, the album’s diversity is strangely infectious. With a vocal range that delivers both the tenderness and subtlety of the lyrics with ease, this is not a run-of-the-mill pop album. High production levels are still there but none of the trying-too-hard emotion that often accompanies these tracks is present. For the better and, for Foy’s sake, all the more of a forum to parade her obvious ability.
‘I Only’ mixes things up a little and feels the most chart worthy of the whole release. It may not be as potent as the other songs on the album, but that’s not enough to warrant a complete binning. Instead the electro infused ballad actually feels more at home than on the outside. Variety may be the spice of life, it certainly is when it comes to pop records.
Lyla Foy could be onto something big. Mirrors The Sky is a fantastic debut and a vehicle that should be enough to catapult her to the mainstream in as big a fashion possible. Watch this space, soon you won’t have the choice but to marvel in its size and beauty.
