I’m not really sure why, But there’s always been a significantly smaller corner of the market when it comes to women in hard rock. I’m always on the lookout for a great, Stand out female rocker with great songs. Years ago I came across Lily Löwe due to the fact that one of her guitarists is none other than Stian Hansen A.K.A Stevie Teaze lead guitarist of Suicide Bombers.
I instantly liked Lily’s songs, These aren’t the sleaze anthems that Stevie’s other band are known for, Lily’s music is more modern rock with a classic edge. Her Debut album, 2022’s Löwe is fantastic and four years later we have its follow up.
Lily’s music exists somewhere between Halestorm and Dorothy in my opinion and album opener “Demons” reinforces that comparison, modern rock song structures and a big chorus dominate this song. It’s a short but it hits the mark.
“Haunted House” keeps the momentum with a bass line heavy groove fest, There’s almost a funky vibe to the verses while the chorus packs a punch and Lily sings her ass off on it.
“Puppet Master” is paced well but the verse sections fall a bit flat for me, The chorus and the progression of the rhythm save the day though and you get an absolutely blazing guitar solo towards the end courtesy of Stian.
“Beg For Your Life” goes heavier with a song that sounds a bit like something Skid Row would’ve done on Subhuman Race, It’s slower tempo but man does it pack a punch. Every member of the band shines on this track.
“Beautiful Disaster” starts out with some beautiful melodies before scaling things up for a much more grand rocker than we’ve had up to this point, I can see why she named the album after this song, Top marks on this one.
“Glitter And Gore” I loved from the first note, This is an energetic rocker whose melody takes you on a musical rollercoaster and it’s a fun ride. There’s another killer solo from Stian, But I’d expect no less from a guitarist of his caliber.
“Our Secret” slows the tempo a bit which allows the softer and melodic side of Lily’s vocals to shine more, Subdued in the verses but then she builds to a more powerful chorus. One common thing on this album is that Lily knows how to deliver a great chorus across all of these songs.
“Wild” goes a bit more 80’s sunset strip sleaze mixed in with the more modern rock that primarily dominates these songs, This is easily one of the best songs on the album with a melody that just demands to be played loud.
“Love Like This” ends the album with a power ballad, ending an album with a power ballad is always a good choice because it gives that lift and hook to keep the listener coming back for another listen. The song is paced and played well and Lily sounds fantastic over the grand arrangements on this track.
The wait for this album has been worth it, Lily and her band have created a great album that is on par with her first.
7/10