Pop music is a funny thing, there are few artists that manage to dance within the very strict structures and expectations of the genre to create something truly unique. Lauran Hibberd manages to do exactly that with a witty and poetic deconstruction of a toxic relationship channelled into a punk-fused ode to self-fulfilment.
It begins with a discordant fingernail scratching down the guitar string before the punchy riff begins to fill in the sound and Lauran begins her rant against the feckless “hero” of the narrative. From there the song continues to evolve, morph, and shift through various breakdowns and sections each rich with its own identity and sound within the song as a whole.
At its core it has a growling punk energy with big guitar riffs and fuzzy effects that build and build into the crescendo of the track. In amongst this are sprinkled softer more poetic and honest passages that flesh out the story and the melodic side of the sound.
Lyrically Lauran shows off a maturity and a self-aware witticism that provides the tongue-in-cheek humour that ‘Bleugh’ delights with. It is kind of like Avril Lavigne and Kate Nash had a baby. It retains an alternative cool while also serving up something that is both musically and lyrically very interesting.
If the this is the shape of pop to come we might actually start listening to the radio again.
Words by Matt Miles.
