Laura Welsh's ‘Soft Control’ Creates Powerful Presence

The manner of experimentation through Laura Welsh’s new album ‘Soft Control’, conveys her diverse outlook on her own musical influences. Each song emphasises an explorative attitude in her style.

Forms of Acid Jazz, soul-pop and World music make varied appearances in her songs, showing the music community that this new contender is not afraid to throw out the rulebook when it comes to making an album (and in this particular case, it is a very successful decision).

The moving track ‘God Keeps’ (no. 5 on her highly anticipated debut), speaks about the incessant confliction of thoughts that most experience through life. When the noise of endless thinking seems to drown you in a sea of letters and exclamation marks, it can be more than most can handle.

The world has also experienced the pain and anguish of losing a loved one, (through death or the end of a relationship) and exactly how many questions and exaggerated notions can generate from the grief? The busy beat of drums and orchestral arrangement she threads around her voice however, emits the heartache she feels, creating a deep relationship with her audience.

Already mingling with some of the new big names of music, track no. 7 ‘Hardest Part’, features R&B sensation John Legend. The hypnotic duo use the ‘call and response’ singing technique as well as a slow, sensual beat to create a reactionary sound that simply radiates euphoria.

Like walking the edge of the ocean, ‘Soft Control’ has the same soft lap of cool, crisp fragility, before her innocent voice comes crashing down around you, revealing a powerful presence. As she emanates through the sound waves, her grip tightens and it grows difficult not to sway with the current until you have no choice but to let the resonance swallow you whole. There is no doubt ‘Soft Control’ will have this Staffordshire born singer/songwriter rising to the surface, a breath of new air to this resurgent genre. Soft Control is released on the 9th March, to pre-order a copy 
click here.

Words by Nathan Roach

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