Lore - lore

Lore

Lore
self-released; 2014

3.4 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Hailing from Ireland, Lore is a three-piece band comprised of Carolann Carlile (vocals), Raymond O’Kane (piano) and Luke McCloskey (guitar). They recently released their debut self-titled EP Lore in October of last year, which contains melancholy yet inspirational songs that bring to mind artists such as Melissa Etheridge, Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan. 

The music is well written throughout but it’s obvious rather quickly that its ultimate purpose is to support the vocals of Carlile. Whether or not you dig this style of music it’s indisputable that Carlile has an exceptional voice. She is dynamic, diverse and is able to deliver different shades of emotion within one single word. On top of that her slightly noticeable Irish accent is quite attractive.

The EP was recorded in a professional studio in Ireland and the results are excellent. Every instrument sounds great and the vocals sound natural but polished. You can hear what I’m talking about on the first track “Lost.” The song is stripped back to just piano and vocals, but is quite powerful. The lyrics are simple, a bit cliché at times but also effective. 

The melancholy, nostalgia continues on “Bluebird” but transforms into hope as the song progresses. Carlile gets to show off some of her range on this song and this was the song that made me realize how good of a singer she was.

My personal favorite track was “No Other Love,” which contains a full array of instrumentation that creates a robust  track that reaches new heights for the group. The song starts out soulful and soft but eventually builds into a cathartic purge of emotion through sound. Carlile belts it out with conviction towards the end of the song and brings it home. 

Lore can feel a little bit corny at times in the same way The Cranberries, Sarah McLachlan and Melissa Etheridge are but that still doesn't negate the fact they are well written and professionally delivered. This music will most likely be more popular with a female audience and certainly a guilty pleasure amongst some males. Recommended.

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