Louder, Please is the first album from East London pop singer, Rose Gray. This is her debut record, but she’s been in the music industry since 2019, releasing two EPs and mixtape in that period of time. The sound of this record is mostly a mix of electro pop and house music, and  five singles were released leading up to this project, so how does the final product sound? Here are my thoughts.

    We start off the album with the track “Damn,” and unfortunately we’re not really off to a good start. The vocal filters on Gray’s voice that pitch her voice up higher is incredibly grating and hard to listen to, and the production is repetitive, outdated, and obnoxious. Thankfully, the following track, “Free,” is actually okay. It doesn’t feel like a house track like the introductory track did, in some ways it reminds me a lot of Dua Lipa. I like the sunny vibe of the track, but as a whole it just feels like a cheap imitation of Dua’s sound, as Rose unfortunately isn’t as strong of a singer as Dua Lipa is. Following that, we get one of the biggest singles, “Wet & Wild.” The thumping dance beat, chill pianos, and catchy chorus make the track feel like a 90s Eurodance throwback, and while sure, the lyrics are not really substantive, Gray actually puts in a solid vocal performance. I can definitely can see why this was made into a single for this record. “Just Two,” interpolates the track, “Blue,” by Eiffel 65, in the chorus, but does it in a way that’s not as cheap and so obvious to the point it’s disgusting, as David Guetta did. “Tectonic,” and “Party People,” are two examples of tracks where Gray’s vocals are actually really beautiful. “Tectonic,” has these euphoric glassy synths and romance-driven lyrics, and it’s easily one of my favorites on the record. I especially like Rose’s background explanation when it comes to the lyrics, as she’s using nature as a way to sing about being in a relationship with someone isn’t always around. “Party People,” is a strong club anthem, as it continues the 90s Eurodance vibe of the record. 

     “Angel of Satisfaction,” is also decent as Rose’s voice is strong on it, and I enjoyed the production of the track, but after that, I really started to feel like the album kinda just gets boring. It’s pretty much just 90s dance throwbacks, and while that might appeal to a lot of people, it doesn’t do this in a way that’s particularly groundbreaking or refreshing. Rose isn’t a terrible singer by any means, but her songwriting on this record feels painfully clichéd, and not in a good way. The production is really hit or miss, as on some tracks it really sounds exciting, while on others it just falls flat. The album has a cohesive sound, I’ll give it that, but there’s much better electro pop artists to listen to, such as Charli Xcx, Robyn, and Slayyyter, just to name a few. I read a review where someone said that they felt that this whole album’s cycle was cashing in on the hype of the Brat sound, and unfortunately I’d have to agree. I think it’s good for artists to draw inspiration from other artists, but I feel like they have to do it in a way that is memorable and impactful. Overall it’s just really a mixed bag for me.

Overall Score: 5/10

Favorite Tracks: “Wet & Wild,” “Tectonic,” “Party People,” “Angel of Satisfaction,”

Least Favorite Tracks: “Damn,” “Free,” “Hackney Wick,”

Listen: https://youtu.be/sMndhNF-nyI?si=JK-FCx8HC3RfHEHe

Genres: Electropop/Eurodance/EDM/House