8/10

Since she first arrived on the scene nearly a decade ago, Liz Lawrence has earned a reputation as a sporadic artist over the years. Despite her highly-praised debut album 'Bedroom Hero' arriving back in 2012, she would go on to release a flurry of loose, standalone singles and EPs before finally following it up with her equally impressive sophomore effort 'Pity Party' in 2019. And although this easygoing attitude to output served her well before, it feels as though she is really hitting a productive streak as she now returns once again to unveil her third full-length 'The Avalanche', a record that shows her in a highly progressive light.

Recorded in a makeshift studio, built out of her grandfather's old garden shed, 'The Avalanche' has this intimate and isolated feel about it. Rather than pursue a grander and more atmospheric direction, she has created this dense and captivating aesthetic that feels like she is fully in command of every accept of this new release. Her powerful voice and lyrical flow add this strong and vivid tone to her alluring production, delivering an album that is not just a step in the right direction, but sets her apart from the crowd as one of the more exciting listens we have experienced so far this year.

While she may have built a name for herself amongst the lo-fi folk-pop arena, 'The Avalanche' showcases a huge evolution in sound that gives rise to an entirely new Liz Lawrence at the helm. With an adventurous and explorative guise, she is truly pushing the boundaries of her own direction throughout this release, something that is so very easy to get onboard with.