Debutante, the debut full-length from self-made British pop star Laura Bettinson, otherwise known as Femme, was definitely worth the wait.
Years spent releasing singles, collaborating, touring and producing her own videos has allowed Femme to steadily cultivate an adoring fanbase and has allowed her to step out from the shadow of her previous role as lead singer of Ultraísta, which features Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker. Her infectious yet confident sound shines immediately from first track "Your Poptarts Are Ready," which features a mashup of voice messages from fans around the world — a nod from Bettinson to their support.
The driving "Fever Boy" features a sassy '60s girl group sound juxtaposed by Bettinson's casual delivery in the verses: "I'm not being funny, I don't know how to be — it's unfashionable and that's not me," she deadpans. "S.O.S." exudes a heavy '80s vibe, with thick synths and drums grounding Bettinson's vocals, while the steady beat and vocal blips of "Light Me Up" drip with melancholy as she sings, "They brighten up my shade of blue." A more introspective, bass-heavy moment comes during the groove of an earlier single, "Double Trouble," originally released in 2013.
Although a number of songs on the record have been familiar to fans for some time, Bettinson has reworked older tracks like "Sirens" and "Bring It Back Round" and added enough new material ("Calling All Stars," "Locoluvva") to keep the album fresh. Femme has been up and coming for some time now, and certainly deserves the continued support this fantastic record will surely bring her.
(Tape Music)Years spent releasing singles, collaborating, touring and producing her own videos has allowed Femme to steadily cultivate an adoring fanbase and has allowed her to step out from the shadow of her previous role as lead singer of Ultraísta, which features Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and Joey Waronker. Her infectious yet confident sound shines immediately from first track "Your Poptarts Are Ready," which features a mashup of voice messages from fans around the world — a nod from Bettinson to their support.
The driving "Fever Boy" features a sassy '60s girl group sound juxtaposed by Bettinson's casual delivery in the verses: "I'm not being funny, I don't know how to be — it's unfashionable and that's not me," she deadpans. "S.O.S." exudes a heavy '80s vibe, with thick synths and drums grounding Bettinson's vocals, while the steady beat and vocal blips of "Light Me Up" drip with melancholy as she sings, "They brighten up my shade of blue." A more introspective, bass-heavy moment comes during the groove of an earlier single, "Double Trouble," originally released in 2013.
Although a number of songs on the record have been familiar to fans for some time, Bettinson has reworked older tracks like "Sirens" and "Bring It Back Round" and added enough new material ("Calling All Stars," "Locoluvva") to keep the album fresh. Femme has been up and coming for some time now, and certainly deserves the continued support this fantastic record will surely bring her.
