More about: Lava La Rue

Artist, musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, co-founder of celebrated West London collective NiNE8 – the list could go on and on. Ladbroke Grove native Lava La Rue has been busy making noise on the new music scene with their underground neo-soul/future-RnB/lo-fi-hiphop pick’n’mix ever since the hypnotising 2018 debut EP Letra. After simmering on our Ones to Watch list, La Rue assertively returns with Butter-Fly, a 5-track EP that leaves us certain she is a force to be reckoned with.

‘Magpie’ instantly grabs the listener’s attention with a cleverly looped soul sample accompanied by lo-fi hip-hop drums and Lava La Rue’s crisp vocals. The track sees La Rue showcase their skills as a singer, before fluidly moving into their signature melodic flow. It’s hard to imagine a track better suited to open the EP and although there are more moments of brilliance to come, it doesn’t take more than just over 3 minutes and 30 seconds before we have to stop ourselves from reaching for the repeat button.

Continuing with the songs ‘Angel’ and ‘Goofy Hearts’ – the former being the last single to drop ahead of the EP release – La Rue does nothing but impress and the tracks further cement the initial impression of excellence. Both tracks flirt with the idea of being radio-friendly pop songs without losing any integrity – ‘Angel’ with its layers of indie pop-esque synths and bouncy baselines and ‘Goofy Hearts’ with its mesmerising arpeggio intro and distinctively syncopated drums.

Known for not being shy when it comes to expressing political opinions around equality and self-love through music, Butter-Fly sees Lava La Rue make a statement when it comes to one of music’s most discussed subjects – love. ‘G.O.Y.D.’, or Girl Of Your Dreams, the Vegyn-produced and Clario-featuring single from last year, has been widely celebrated as a queer anthem and the track, along with the rest of the EP, creates a safe space for all love.

If placed next to practically anything picked out of Lava La Rue’s prior discography, Butter-Fly sounds big, yet somehow it effortlessly maintains a tint of the lo-fi coolness that we have come to expect from La Rue. Butter-Fly is a stunning EP from a promising young artist.

Butter-Fly arrives 19 February via Marathon Artists.

More about: Lava La Rue