Sophie Lloyd – Imposter Syndrome
Sophie Lloyd – Imposter Syndrome
Autumn Records
Release Date: 10/11/23
Running Time: 40:00
Review by Rory Bentley
7/10
YouTube shred sensation Sophie LLoyd probably has a higher public profile than most of the bigger bands we cover on this site, with over a million subscribers and countless views of her souped-up versions of Rock and Metal classics and originals. She has been so successful that she landed the gig as Machine Gun Kelly’s right-hand woman in his live band. But don’t hold that against her. “Imposter Syndrome” is her debut album of original material, the title a reference to her feelings of not ‘paying her dues’ the traditional way of making fuck all money and getting paid in warm Guinness from the headline band’s rider even though your band sold all the tickets. Sorry, that one’s still a little raw from the other week. But she need not feel like an imposter as this impressive debut showcases her dazzling technical ability and ear for a banging riff. Most people talking shit about her would not have the requisite chops to pull this album off so let’s put that one straight to bed.
Using a revolving lineup of lead singers from all over the Rock and Metal map there’s more than likely something on here for everyone unless you only like Extreme Metal. As a result, the counterpoint to this is that the album could be seen as a mixed bag depending on what you’re into. Opening track ‘Do or Die’ features the monstrous pipes of Nathan James of Inglorious and various cheesy Rock Musicals. It is a pompous overblown track that drips with Rock and Roll cliché but is very hard not to get swept up in. Lloyd’s riffs and licks are on point, and it thankfully sounds nothing like Machine Gun Kelly, so there’s that. Atreyu’s Brandon Saller also does an admirable job on the follow-up ‘Pressure’, which comes across like a beefed up Bon Jovi channelling Steve Vai. The technicality is there to marvel over but it’s bolstered by solid songwriting that doesn’t lose sight of the need to deliver big hooks.
By far the best song for my money is the title track featuring Lizzy Hale. Lloyd gives her the backdrop to deliver a massive vocal performance built for Rock Radio and arenas. Hale is one of the best in the game and her paint-stripping, devastating power and conviction always raises the standard of any song she shows up on, particularly when applied to an anthemic ode to self-empowerment like this. Things never reach the same peak after this, however there are still plenty of highlights.
Despite the more star-studded names like Matt Heafey and Steel Panther’s Michael Starr, the former putting in a solid melodic Metal banger whilst the latter is a bit cringe to put it kindly, it is the collaborations with LLoyd’s YouTube peers that prove to be the most fruitful. Glorious instrumental ‘Lost’ featuring fellow shredder Cole Rolland is guitar heaven as the two virtuosos trade licks in a composition that sounds like the soundtrack to the best Sonic the Hedgehog game that’s never been invented, while the air-grabbing power ballad ‘Hanging On’ features a towering performance from vocal sensation Lauren Babic and one of the album’s strongest choruses.
‘Judge and Jury’ closes things out on a slightly disappointing note, featuring a mind-numbingly dour performance from matey boy from ‘Theory of a Deadman’ but hey you can’t have it all. Considering this album largely features the kind of burger and fries Radio Rock that I typically recoil from, I had a pretty darn good time with it. Rather than just another influencer vanity project (hello KSI), this is a solid slice of rousing mainstream Rock that still packs in enough fretboard pyrotechnics to captivate the bedroom shredders as well as your average Halestorm fan. Far from an imposter, Sophie Lloyd is the real deal.
TRACKLISTING
01. Do or Die
02. Pressure
03. Imposter Syndrome
04. Let It Hurt
05. Runaway
06. Fall Of Man
07. Lost
08. Hanging On
09. Avalanche
10. Won’t You Come
11. Judge and Jury
LINE-UP:
Sophie Lloyd and her celebrity pals
LINKS:
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