Lucy Spraggan’s new record Today Was A Good Day sees the artist in a good place as she delves into issues of mental illness with a positive attitude.
With five albums now under her belt and a slot at this years Glastonbury festival, Lucy Spraggan seems to be in a settled place. It feels as though, these days, she can take everything in her stride and able to reflect on the past with a smile on her face. New record Today Was A Good Day is a testament to this, as the singer looks at depression, anxiety and regrets by flipping them on their head and creating positive messages that we can all relate to and learn from.
Breathe starts off the record against gentle guitar pluckings as we’re reintroduced to Lucy’s insightful and frank lyrics: “so much can change in a year, I have different fears, I feel I’m sorry a little less”. Although focusing on feeling on guilt, depression and anxiety, this is backed up with bright undertones of how she’s has overcome these issues. The chorus brings out more optimism as it pumps up the drums and raises the atmosphere tenfold.
Lead single Lucky Stars sees Spraggan back to her favourite place with an acoustic guitar firmly in hand and lyrics everyone can relate to. The rolling country beat throws the track forwards with the singer in a reminiscing mood: “Typical of me, I run before I walk, I’m on the moon without my suit the world’s worst astronaut.” She’s having fun here, realising she doesn’t have to just rely on herself but can trust in others close to her. This mentality is once again echoed in track The Waiting Room against gentle piano, guitar and violin with some of the strongest melodies on the record.
There’s also a strong feeling of empowerment running through the record and taking back control. Don’t Play This On The Radio is focused around being sick of taking other people’s advice and, instead, listening to her own mind. Lightning takes this even further, contemplating having her funeral before she dies so she can party with her nearest and dearest. She’s also dispelling her wisdom and knowledge learned thus far on the road, showing confidence and cohesion we haven’t seen from the artist in a while.
Stick The Kettle On features Scouting For Girls and once again focuses on mental illness; this is no surprise as the track was previously released in support of CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably. It saunters forward amongst both Spraggan and Roy Stride trying to convey how depression can take people over and the difficulties of performing even the basic tasks. Depression affects everyone differently, and the singers realise this, urging people to understand we sometimes get it wrong and it’s not a bad thing; just step back and do one of the most British things you can do: stick the kettle on.
The record ends strongly with Thanks For Choosing Me. Following her usual penchant for the relatable, Lucy recites situations that arise in marriage and is seen to be looking forward to the adventures her and her wife are going to experience in the future. It’s all very sweet and pleasant as Lucy takes the mundane things in life and breathes new life into them against fun and interesting lyrics.
As the title of the record suggests, Lucy Spraggan really is in a good place right now. She’s content with who she is, what her life has become and looking forward to living each and every minute. The way she deals with the issue of mental illness throughout is profound and forward-thinking, showing both how it can affect certain people and how she has personally learned to deal with it. This is all consolidated by an overall positive tone against bright guitars, strong choruses and nice melodies throughout. Today Was A Good Day Shows Lucy Spraggan still has a lot to give and includes some of her best work to date.
Score: 4.5/5
By Jamie Parmenter