is not known for her reticence. She’s an artist who is proudly willing to bare all – physical and emotional – for the sake of true expression. Her sixth album ‘ESTRUS’ feels like the culmination of that approach. It’s an album which deliberately provides nowhere to hide for its creator; no cover, no soft blankets of protection.
‘ESTRUS’ is beautifully designed sonically, with a coherent palette applied to the whole record, yet it also evolves distinctly. In the first few tracks, the production is sparse but pinpoint pure: crisp sounds and close vocals set against absolute silence. That starkness perhaps reflects something of the emotion Lo was experiencing during her four years spent reflecting on and searching for the next direction. In the record which emerged as a result, Lo admits that answers may never be found and explains that acceptance of this reality matters more.
Track one startles with the rapid approach of a whirling metallic pulse, a visceral sound which is difficult to get a handle on as it arrives. Whatever that sound is, it signals subconsciously that this could be the start of an expansive song with lots to unpack. And yet, ‘a lot of feelings, no solutions’ turns out to be a sub-one-minute introductory track functioning as a summary of the potential discoveries to come. There are multitudes contained within that short minute, though, as the title reflects. Lo will be seeking to explore widely and deeply during ‘ESTRUS’, and she is setting out with the ambition of finding answers of some kind. What follows is a finely concocted record exploring if not the entire breadth of human experience, then at least a finely distilled core. Doubts, discoveries; denial, acceptance; hedonism and vulnerability…
The exploration begins in earnest with ‘I’m your girl right’, which has a curiously stark feel. There are vocals so isolated you can hear every breath, and clubby pianos echoing from what can be pictured as bright white warehouse walls. Here – and elsewhere on the album, the anthemic core of the song is offset by unsettling sounds (sirens, buzzsaw tones) highlighting the innate contradictions in Lo’s experiences. “I’m your girl right, heart still aches… love me hard”, she sings. It’s a question which begins rhetorically and shifts to a seeking of reassurance.
‘If I could I would’ is gentle but focused. Lo knows what she wants here and takes time to share it before morphing into ‘des fleurs’, a sparkling and rhythmical sequel, effortlessly sensual but showing a more yielding side. Twinkling pianos, Lo’s theatrically (and electronically enhanced) rolled Rs, and French vocals added by Stromae only up the ante. But, then, ‘DNH’ is buzzy, metallic and in your face: a sweaty, messy song which finds Lo delivering an open and relatable analysis of the trials and tribulations of female friendship. “You’re still my best friend when you ruined my night” she sings faithfully, finding a strange solace in the oft-times tortuous world of meaningful relationships.
At the centre of the record, as the tones of her music broaden, we encounter Lo in a period of deeper introspection. ‘F.A.M.T’ is a highlight and one of the most distinctively “Tove Lo” offerings, featuring a distinct broadening of space, rich and warm layers, vocals pushed back in the chorus, and the artist riffing on the familiar subject of wanting to hide pain and negative emotion with hedonism or pleasure. Its counterpart comes two tracks later in the form of ‘the bad one’. The song, through the medium of dark vibes, wavy synths and electro-pop beats, explores admissions of guilt and facing up to feelings – with definite nods to Lo’s back catalogue in those self-flagellating lyrics (Is it just me, or doesn’t “I was drunk and high, most of those nights, all of the time…” sound familiar?)
As Lo really gets into her stride, ‘die for my art with a lonely heart’ is crisp, melodic, bouncy, and again true-to-form with its soundbite lines (“Don’t leave me alone, not good on my own, guess I’ve been lying baby…”. Next up, ‘are we on a break’ is a clear standout track, with its vocal treatments, more of those metallic synths and an irresistible rising progression in the chorus.
A word on the basslines here, too. Many of these songs are anchored with excellent lower sections, guiding and walking us through the tunes and providing additional aural clues. So in the quirky and unashamedly ‘roomie’, a pulsing bass drum is joined by a cheeky bass progression pointing to the sexualised Nature metaphor which only Lo could concoct. That’s followed by the sleazy and sensual bassline of ‘source of life’, a foot-tapping stop/start track where Lo reminds us and herself of her physical potential as a woman.
The songwriting is top class on almost all of this album’s tracks, with just a couple feeling a little less considered. On an individual song level, Lo is probably not in club classic territory with ‘ESTRUS’; instead we find her relishing the opportunity to present her life experience in the form of thoughtful, human-curated cameos which are soaked in good humour but serious when needed. Is she any closer to understanding life or finding the answers she hoped to? Maybe not. But it’s clear that the journey – one she has generously and shamelessly shared with us – has become the ultimate answer.
7/10