It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to give birth to your own child and find it difficult to lift, carry and play with them. That’s what happened to Lucy Rose after she gave birth to her first son, Otis, in 2019 and was still suffering from excruciating back pain two years later. The diagnosis: eight fractured vertebrae and a rare form of pregnancy-related osteoporosis. It’s clear that the thought of making music was initially out of the question. Now, thanks to medical treatment, the singer is almost pain-free, but it was a battle between suffering and survival instinct. On her fourth studio album, »This Ain’t The Way You Go Out«, which she recorded with producer Kwes, Lucy Rose reflects on this difficult time and her new role as a mother. Her son Otis was also the one who gave her the strength to sit back down at the piano and regain the positive energy that her illness had robbed her of. It is no surprise, then, that the adorable babbling in the second interlude comes from the mouth of the very young Otis. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, the songs are light, with jazzy elements that the singer uses to comfort herself and the listener. Only the closer »The Racket«, which Rose says »ends the album on a note of defiance and triumph«, unleashes the artist’s full potential and courage to take risks.
Black Country, New Road
Forever Howlong
Ninja Tune