It’s been a slow burn leading up to the release of Fran Lobo’s debut album. Part of the all-female ensemble Deep Throat Choir, the London-based singer-songwriter released her first EP, Beautiful Blood, in 2015, laying out a confident sound comprising punchy drums, fractal melodies and the anchoring presence of her powerful voice. In the years since, she has built a network of impressive collaborators, including vocalists Lucinda Chua and Coby Sey. Several EPs have followed, straddling different genres, from the synth-driven grooves of 2016’s Surround to the piano balladry of 2021’s Brave. “I like challenging what you think the song should be,” Lobo said in an interview with Loud and Quiet. “I’m not going to do what you think I’m going to do.”
It’s an experimental ethos developed through eight years of shape-shifting releases, now culminating in the 10 tracks of Burning It Feels Like. Written and produced by Lobo, the record traverses the majestic, choral soundscape of the title track to the bass-driven glitches of All I Want and the thumping, industrial heft of Armour’s rhythm section. Throughout, Lobo’s full-throated, Kate Bush-esque voice ties the immersive sonic palette together, while her production style is more confident than ever, hopping between genres and confounding expectations.
Burning It Feels Like is out on 18 August via Heavenly Recordings. Fran Lobo plays at New River Studios, London N4 with Laura Groves on 23 August and headlines at Laylow, London W10, on 5 October
