New Zealand’s got talent, and her name is Ella yelich-O’Connor aka Lorde. Let’s talk about “Royals” first. The international smash is what introduced the young singer-songwriter to the masses, and her dismissal of opulence in favor of “a different kind of buzz,” over the minimal beat It went in a completely different direction from her contemporaries like Katy Perry or Miley Cyrus and carved out a lane that was missing from the current pop music landscape. The song got plays on NY’s Hot 97, and veterans like Bruce Springsteen & Jack White have been heard covering the song: co-signs galore. O’Connor was only 16 when she released Pure Heroine, for which she wrote all the lyrics on and co-wrote the music, so again, New Zealand’s got talent, and her name is Lorde. And don’t get it twisted, “Royals” isn’t the only highlight from this 2013 full-length. Check out the subtle electro-pop bounce of “Tennis Court,” the upbeat “Team,” “400 Lux,” “Ribs,” and “Glory And Gore.”

• gatefold sleeves
• includes lyric booklet
• music label: Lava / Republic Records 2013

reviewed by thom tanks 07/2017