Lois: The Way You Are – Single Review

Lois: The Way You Are

(Fear Records)

DL | Streaming

Out Now

Lois, Lancashire-born but Leeds-living singer/songwriter has just released her debut single The Way You Are

Ok, so this young chanteuse may not appeal to the average Louder Than War reader, or reviewer, but when I stumbled across her in late 2021, I seriously had to question my paid-up grumpy old man credentials.

I like indie music, I like indie guitar bands, I like female-fronted indie guitar bands… you get the picture, but when I heard Lois performing she stopped me in my tracks. She was backed just by guitar and keyboard at The Cafe Bar in Lancaster. The venue was cramped and noisy, but the chattering amongst the audience soon fell silent as the smokey voiced artist began her set. Rather than being in the North West on a wet autumn Sunday afternoon with a warm can of coke I was transported to a warm summer evening, sat in a cafe just off the Champs-Élysées with an ice-cold beer and a faint waft of garlic.

Lois has been compared to Joy Crookes and Arlo Parks, but that afternoon I also picked up on an influence of a young Amy Winehouse, ironically just as she introduced a cover of Just Friends. This her debut release, The Way You Are, closed the set; slightly more uptempo than the rest with a slight Lily Allen feel to it. It’s got a vibe to it which fits perfectly as the nights grow longer and the weather (hopefully) gets warmer. Of this song, Lois explains: “The Way You Are is a story of love, comfort, and what it feels like to realise the brightness and beauty of someone’s inner essence”.

At a time when auto-tuning and the manufacturing of an artist is commonplace and deemed acceptable, Lois really is the real deal; when she sings, her raw, natural talent is there to be heard. Annoyingly, having spoken to her, as well as talented she’s extremely grounded and humble too. Lois has genuine star potential.

Over the coming months, Lois promises an array of releases including a full EP later this year and is also set to perform at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton in May. If you get the chance, check her out.

You can find Lois on Instagram, Twitter And TikTok

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All words by Iain Key. See his Author Profile here author’s archive or on Twitter as @iainkey.

Source: louderthanwar.com