Album Review: Lucy Rose: Like I Used To

LUCY Rose has spent years quietly battling away on the open mic circuit and until now has been best-known for lending backing vocals to several tracks by indie quartet Bombay Bicycle Club.

But finally the moment has come for the 23-year-old songstress to emerge from the shadows with the release of her solo debut album.

Like I Used To could be mistaken for the kind of CD you would put on to get under the covers and weep to, as many of the tracks document the struggles of being in love.

Take Shiver for example that exposes the beautiful fragility of Rose’s dulcet tones and her heartfelt lyrics remembering, “I loved the way you looked at me/And I miss the way you made me feel/When we were alone”.

Yet just when you start to get comfortable, songs like Bikes and Middle Of The Bed have a different mood altogether with their buoyant charm and playful melodies.

Rose’s stripped-back style is maintained throughout all 11 tracks, and she is at her best when it is just her and her acoustic guitar.

And this is why it seems all the more apt that the down-to-earth singer chose to record the album not in an inner-city studio, but at her parents’ home and a village hall in Warwickshire.

There may have been times during Rose’s five years of hard graft when she questioned whether it was all worth it, but after listening to Like I Used To there is no doubt the answer is a resounding yes.