If the so-called sophomore slump truly is a thing, Liang Lawrence certainly isn’t affected by it. While an artist’s second album is often considered to be a daunting project doomed to fail, this singer-songwriter outdid herself with her new EP What’s Dead and Gone, which she released on August 2nd.
Liang Lawrence is a name you might want to remember: Last weekend, she made her festival debut, and her first headline show will follow next month at the Omeara in London. With an impressive three million streams, her track ‘(not) a love song’ has received a lot of love – deservedly so – and her second EP is likely to enjoy a similar success.
The title What’s Dead and Gone is very accurately chosen, as every song on it explores different aspects of loss and grief, whether it’s a relationship, a friendship, or even parts of herself that she is mourning through the music.
The opening track ‘Eulogy,’ released earlier this year, is the perfect introduction to this project, not least due to its fitting title. While this song deals with the end of a relationship, the second track, ‘Use Me,’ seems to be about losing parts of yourself during a relationship. “Nothing about what I do feels right so I may as well be everything you like” is one poignant line that many listeners will relate to.
‘Backseat’ might describe the daunting experience of being abandoned by a friend or maybe even a family member. The lyrics make sense in both contexts, with the heartbreaking undertone of saying goodbye to the innocence and hopefulness of childhood. The outro is especially haunting, as Liang strips down the instrumentals to just an acoustic guitar and softly repeats the chorus lines: ‘If you loved me, why’d you leave me in the backseat?’
The fourth track, ‘Set Me Up,’ is another candid song about losing yourself by trying to please others. While the whole song describes this feeling very well, it’s the line ‘I don’t mind being your projected perfect’ that hits the nail on the head. The song is painfully reflective as she already recognises that, despite her efforts, she won’t ever be enough for the other person. The sombre tune and Liang’s voice convey this heavy sense of resignation perfectly.
‘If Only’ is arguably the saddest song on the mini album. A beautifully melancholic acoustic guitar accompanies Liang’s gentle voice, and when the violins kick in halfway through the song, it truly tugs at the heartstrings. As does the line ‘I’ll take this to both our graves cause I’m so ashamed of it’, which is yet another nod to the theme of the EP.
What’s Dead and Gone ends with an acoustic version of ‘Eulogy,’ making it the perfect closing track, as it feels like an actual eulogy, made rawer and even more vulnerable by its stripped-back sound.
Despite being released in August, the EP has an autumnal flair to it. It’s a perfect blend of indie and bedroom pop, immersing you in the feeling of a gloomy October morning. Both Liang’s voice and her lyricism offer a sincere vulnerability, allowing listeners to relate to and find comfort in the music. All in one, it’s a triumphant sophomore project that leaves listeners longing for more.
Written by: Melanie Falkensteiner
Edited by: Shanna Henselmans
