Album Review: Empress Of - Us

The second offering from Empress Of (aka Lorely Rodriguez) is pure electro-pop with crisp vocals and an interesting angle.

Opener Everything To Me sets a cool mood of contemporary love, while single When I’m With Him chugs along with a mixture of English and Spanish allowing Rodriguez’s vocals to soar and toes to get tapping. The bilingual approach also appears in Trust Me Baby – working to give a sense of an alter ego in the song’s story – begging for a double listen and building the intrigue. The album, however, holds slower and cheekier moments, including Just The Same, something of an anti-love song, complete with the line, “I want you on top of me like a paperweight.” Is that good? Either way, great line! There’s the philosophy-with-a-great-beat I Don’t Even Smoke Weed and the Casio-styled feminism of Timberlands to enjoy. There’s some interesting space allowed in the punch of I've Got Love, which builds around a simple refrain; while closer Again allows for a contemplative come down. The last track, in particular, is a real drawcard – with a great sonic atmosphere built that provides a bed for the vocals and verse. Lovely work, that’s nicely done.