Steve Stroud - Lavalamp

​Steve Stroud

​Lavalamp
self-released; 2017

​3.7 out of 5

By Santiago Garcia

Steve Stroud is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Liverpool, England. Lavalamp is his third solo project. Written, recorded and mastered all by Stroud, this project is on another planet. Rich with themes such as religion, political theory, science and space this vibe-heavy project hosts a variety of sounds and feels. 

​The album kicks off with “Basecamp” a spacey tune that feels as if it’s from the future. With lots of sampled sounds that sound like the cockpit of a space shuttle from your favorite science fiction novel, this song is a perfect kickstart to the project. “Just a Boy” comes in next with a lighthearted feel and a catchy chorus; this song was definitely a favorite. 

“Lavalamp” is the third song on the installment and it comes in with a classic rock feel. About halfway through the song there is a breakdown that turns this into an almost entirely different song until the last minute. This definitely was a reflection of the diverse sounds Stroud is able to create. “Mynah Babies” makes use of spacey synths, a groovy bass and a little bit of piano. If I were ever stuck in space floating endlessly, this would be the soundtrack I would want. “When You Started Feeling Lonely” is another variation of Stroud’s unique sound. I can't help but imagine an entire crowd sitting on a grassy knoll with lighters waving in the air. 

“European Strong” has some of the strongest lyrics on the entire album. Stroud mixes critiques of religion, social media and class differentiation to construct a symphony of modern issues. The bridge and hook are extremely catchy and have a very warm and emotional feel to them. This was most definitely my favorite song on the album and I found myself replaying it over and over again.

“Stage Fright” is a jammy tune that focuses on being yourself and hoping everyone around accepts this. The final song is “I Want To Give You So Much Joy” with more aggressive instrumentation but softer dictation with the lyrics; this contrasting tune is a contradiction cocktail. The song rides out with a long instrumental and does well to complete the album. 

Overall this was a very pleasant listen. There were so many different sounds and feels that I never got bored or annoyed with hearing the same thing over and over. The spacey feel mixed with political lyrics made for a piece that was pleasing to listen to while challenging to understand. I would recommend giving this a few listens to get the full effect.

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