Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Abby Lyons has just released her debut, self-titled album. Last week, we featured Abby as our Unsigned Artist of the Week. Check out our full interview to find out more about the process behind creating the album, Abby’s musical influences, and more! Today, we’re sharing some of our thoughts about Abby’s debut album.
Abby describes the genre of her album as “insightful, snappy pop”, and we couldn’t agree more. It is a bright collection of introspective songs that fans of Dodie Clark, Tessa Violet, Lauren Aquilina, and similar artists would enjoy. The album does a fantastic job of using a wide variety of instruments to create unique arrangements that Abby describes as “classical-pop fusion”. Abby plays the piano on several tracks and the string family makes frequent occurrences- especially the ukulele, violin, and cello.
The album also does a spectacular job of highlighting the range and versatility of Abby’s voice. She soars with confidence on ‘Regrets’, harmonizes effortlessly on tunes such as ‘No More Heartbreak’ and ‘I Still Love You’, shows vulnerability on the piano ballad ‘It’s so Easy to Fall in Love’, and even gets a bit sassy on ‘I Left a Man’ and ‘Your Girlfriend Would Hate This Song’. It’s also difficult to miss Abby’s incredible songwriting talent across the board- from the clever couplets in ‘I Wanna Marry You’ to the beautiful metaphors in ‘Winter’ and ‘Little Robin’.
‘Gypsyland’ is an enchanting tune about a fairytale land while ‘It’s so Easy to Fall in Love’ is a classic piano ballad speaking of places and people close to the heart. ‘I Still Love You’ features a unique ukulele and violin arrangement ballad with soft and gentle harmonies that capture everything about not being able to get over someone. The sole duet on the album is ‘Winter’, featuring Louis Coy. Louis and Abby’s vocals blend beautifully with over the gentle tinkling of the instrumentals, creating a far-away sounding vocal effect. ‘I Left a Man’ is simple but classy, exuding a quiet confidence and nonchalance.
But there are many more awesome songs to talk about, so let’s take a closer look at some of the standout tracks on Abby’s album!
Regrets
The punchy opening track ‘Regrets’ is a fabulous introduction to both the album and Abby as an artist. It is an upbeat, confident tune carried by a strong piano melody and several different background voices. It’s a song about heartbreak, but also about not letting heartbreak ruin your life and coming to terms with change. It’s also quite fun to sing along to (especially if you try to do all four voices at once!)
I Wanna Marry You
‘I Wanna Marry You’ is by far the sweetest song on the album. It is one of Abby’s most pop-sounding songs, but it still holds on to the classical foundation of the album with its cello and violin instrumentals. With clever rhymes and a catchy melody with an uplifting chorus, it probably won’t be leaving your head anytime soon!
Little Robin
This song sounds like it belongs on a movie soundtrack, particularly any one involving a Disney princess! With Abby’s rich and soothing vocals and the soft ukulele strumming, the song almost sounds like a lullaby. The song builds to a beautiful crescendo at the end of the bridge completed by a short violin solo. All of these qualities aside, ‘Little Robin’ is a heartbreaking story about moving on from a relationship, and one of the best showcases of Abby’s songwriting skills on the album.
Your Girlfriend Would Hate This Song
The snappy piano melody and cheeky lyrics of ‘Your Girlfriend Would Hate This Song’ instantly make it one of the most loveable songs on the album. It’s a mixture of several different styles and instruments that somehow blend together seamlessly. The piano and strings give the song a classic vibe and are complemented by a small melodica riff. Abby also switches up her vocals throughout the song- including some spoken lines in the bridge.
No More Heartbreak
Abby told us in our recent interview that ‘No More Heartbreak’ is her favourite song on the album, and we can definitely see why. It is a hopeful conclusion to the album, defined by the refrain of “can I have the good without the bad”. It seems like a plead to be able to experience the moments discussed in the happier songs on the album without having to go through the pain of the sad songs.The harmonies towards the end of the track are heavenly- and we’re obsessed with how Abby sings the lyric “no more crazy, no daydreams, no wondering what it all means”.
Overall, we think Abby Lyon’s self-titled album is an amazing feat for a debut LP. She has already created a distinct sound for herself and began to carve her own path as an artist. This is a diverse collection of songs that showcases the best of her vocal, songwriting, and producing abilities. Abby’s journey is only beginning with this album, and we’re positive we’ll have lots more to hear from her in the future!
Abby Lyons’ self-titled album is available to purchase here. Check out Abby’s website and keep up to date with her on social media: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud | Patreon.
What are your thoughts on Abby Lyons’ debut, self-titled album? Let us know on Twitter @CelebMix.