Lauren Drake – Play Along (2022)
While growing up is something we all have to do, there is a certain sense of disillusionment that comes with it for many people. Lauren Drake is exploring this through her single ‘Play Along’ using musical performances as a metaphor for life. While highlighting the causes of the disillusionment, the single is ultimately one of hopeful acceptance of the process and who we are as people.
This look at the struggles of growing up conveys the uncertainty many face while easing these feelings through instrumentation. Writing music that fills the void in the industry of what she wants to feel and hear, Drake hopes that her music will fill the hole for listeners. Outside of making music, she is also an actor and involved in a Shakespeare production.
The bubbling roll that opens ‘Play Along’ has you gently floating into the single. There is a subdued feeling to the melody at the start that brings a touch of uncertainty to the song. The drums create a great foundation for the guitar to mournfully twang and float through the soundscape. There is an amazing movement to the melody as it gently floats through your ears while effortlessly building. This build-up bolsters the vocals while swirling with the emotions of the single. The uncertainty that tinged the opening threads of the music slowly drops for a tentative sense of understanding and hope.
While the melody builds through the soundscape, it is Drake’s vocals that really make the single. Her vocals have a folky edge to their melodic pop flow. The uncertainty in the melody washes through her performance as she releases all the thoughts and feelings she felt growing up. There is a question in the lyrics that wonders what she is meant to do to stay on the same track as the rest of her peers. As the melody builds, her vocals gain power letting the emotions woven into each word hit harder. The chorus has a theatrical edge as you hear the control and power of her voice. Through the uneasy and painful emotions that haze through the single, Drake carefully leads you to the knowledge that you can’t force things as you grow up, there are certain things that will happen in their own time. The use of metaphor is wonderful and brings a new depth to the journey of the single.
Lauren Drake tackles the disillusionment many feel growing up and wraps it into a delicate metaphor in the moving tones of ‘Play Along’. The melody is delicate as it builds through the soundscape and brings the first touches of uncertainty. Her vocals have a theatrical edge and outstanding emotive power as she fills you with the feelings of the lyrics.
Find out more about Lauren Drake on her website, Instagram and Spotify.
