Review - Butter-Fly by Lava La Rue
Words by Anna Mac
I was first introduced to Lava La Rue, the master of lo-fi R’n’B, late last year by my band-mate. She sent me a song called G.O.Y.D. and I listened to it intently. Then I listened again. And again. The song made it as a high up late entry into my Top Songs 2020 on Spotify. My band-mate and I shared the same thought: this is our vibe.I couldn’t stop listening; then I saw the music video, and I knew I was a fan for life.
Lava La Rue’s latest EP Butter-Fly emits everything you’d expect from the London based artist: groovy beats, funky motifs and airy, beautiful vocals. The opening track, Magpie, welcomes us with an inviting choral backing, with La Rue’s vocals floating through the beat that you can’t help but bopping to. It is exactly the type of song you’d expect to hear in a film like Mid-90s: effortlessly cool and something you want to be a part of.
Next up we have Angel, featuring Deb Never, which was first released in 2020. La Rue is no stranger to rapping, and their bars in this track breaks it up nicely with Deb Never taking us to the bridge. Deb Never happened on the feature by chance, as she ended up in lockdown in London close to La Rue, and the result is the collaboration of dreams.
Goofy Hearts Club cuts the EP down the middle with a more lo-fi, slow tempo sombre tone. With harp like scales accompanied by reversed vocals introduces the lo-fi beat that guides us through the rest of the track. The feature of the piano in the bridge of the song paired with the layered vocals of La Rue hits us right in the feels, with the beat kicking back in and bringing us back to making us want to dance.
G.O.Y.D. will always be a personal favourite of mine as it was my first La Ruevian encounter, with the opening lyric of “Did I ever tell you I’m vegan” resonating with me, well, because I'm Vegan. The song itself is a queer bop, with La Rue expressing feelings of falling in love with a close friend, the Girl Of Your Dreams, if you will. Guest vocalist Clairo’s dreamy melody at the bridge ties the song together to create the perfect love song of modern day.
Closing the EP is Lift You Up, featuring Karma Kid, who is a recording artist and now focuses solely on producing with artists in London. His vocals can be heard on the chorus, which is bookended by more spoken word from La Rue. They are a master of the spoken word, and get the balance just right between a variety of melodic vocals and lyrical speech.
Lava La Rue is ahead of their time, fusing many different genres such as lo-fi, soul, R’n’B and an essence of the psychedelic. After listening to Butter-Fly on repeat, it is definitely going to stay featured on my recently played. Genre may no longer exist, but originality does, and that’s definitely prevalent in Lava La Rue’s new EP Butter-Fly.
