Ever since I fell in love with the sharp humour and great beat of the single "Secret", I've been hanging with baited breath for the release of Mary Lambert's album. The US got it in October, now Australia finally gets a chance to hear the beautiful vocals on "Heart On My Sleeve". It seems surprising we had to wait so long when "Secret" went Top 40 here in Oz and "Same Love" hit number one in Australia before anywhere else.
As I listen to an album for the first time I write a few notes about each song, and looking down at my notes it seems like I've used the word beautiful more times than I thought humanly possible. And it's the best way to sum up this album, it's beautiful. Beautiful melodies, music, vocals, lyrics and Mary Lambert is pretty God damn beautiful.
Mary Lambert is a poet, her lyrics are stunning and the album is a wonderful confessional, right from the opening lyrics of "Secret" - "I've got bi-polar disorder, my shit's not in order". Self deprecating self analysis is always my favourite.
Let's talk about track highlights, and there's more than a few here. The aforementioned "Secret" is brilliant, I happily placed it in my Top Singles of 2014. With Mary's amazing sing-talk delivery, it's the kind of track that will get stuck in your head for days, great stuff. "Ribcage", featuring Angel Haze and Kelay, is a wonderful collaboration. With the lazy beats and beautiful vocals, this should be a single. Impressive stuff. "When You Sleep" has such an incredible sense of longing that it made my heart sigh, while "Sum Of Our Parts" again shows Lambert's yearning with poetic lyrics, "We are more than our scars". It's anthemic and will be played heavily on repeat over the next few months.
Covers can be a mixed bag on albums, but Lambert's stripped back version of Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" will make you both smile and shed a tear. Unafraid to show us her sexuality, proud Lambert isn't afraid to take the mickey out of herself.
The bonus tracks are also wonderful, including "She Keeps Me Warm", her extended version of her "Same Love" hook, "Assembly Line" is luscious, and "Just Got Home" is simply lovely. Though the B.O.B version of "Secret" seems superfluous, the original is good enough on it's own.
This is a stunning debut album from an artist who I hope sticks around for a long time. Come to Australia Mary, we'd love to see you play live here!
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