Lucie Silvas Turns Her Soul into Stories

EDITOR’S NOTE: As 2018 comes to a close, we’re looking back at some releases from the year that we didn’t get a chance to write up when they were released. Lucie Silvas’ E.G.O. was released in August.

There are so many pure lyrical moments in E.G.O. that capture the rare artistic soul that is Lucie Silvas that by the end of it, you’ll understand exactly who she is at the core.

The fourth studio album by the British singer is a gripping, dynamic project that explores a range of emotions including loneliness, longing for authenticity, and living untamed. She begins to peel back these complex layers of who she is on the album’s opening track, “Black Jeans,” smashing through stereotypes to convey her authentic being. “I don’t feel like myself in something somebody else designed … I hate it when you size me up … it’s about time you see me with my cards face up,” she sings, her rugged, soulful voice soaring as she confidently asks someone to see her for who she truly is, not the stereotype cast upon her.

It only takes a few lyrics to understand that Silvas was born a gypsy soul. She sings of this directly on “Change My Mind,” a glowing ballad where she portrays herself as a wandering soul who refuses to be tamed until someone with a power stronger than her own can convince her otherwise. “You won’t capture my gypsy heart sticking around, ’cause I gotta keep moving to feel alive,” she sings with conviction, continuing this raw honesty by boldly proclaiming, “love takes second place next to my pride.” The rollicking “Kite” is another vote of confidence for the gypsy souls of the world. The stomping, intoxicating rock-infused number is an anthem for the woman who can’t be tied down. “She wasn’t born to stay / holding on white knuckle / if you let her go she’s trouble,” Silvas advises.

When she’s not singing of her wandering heart, she’s baring her soul as she reflects on the qualms of modern society, such as in the title track. “E.G.O.” is a message our social media-dependent society needs, taking playful aim at the vanity and self-obsession that comes with such a public platform. She offers a dose of the hard truth when she states “everybody gets off on the fame and the glory / trying to chase out the lonely,” and her prowess as a songwriter shines through as she croons, “I don’t get hungry ’cause I’m always full of myself,” a brilliantly clever notion that wraps an unfortunate truth in comedic hyperbole.

One of the many aspects that makes E.G.O. so riveting is how Silvas masterfully captures the feeling of loneliness. The waning, ’70s rock style “Girls From California” is a stunning cinematic number that envelops this feeling. She conveys a sense of longing to be the kind of woman the man she wants desires, but her self-loyalty won’t allow her to stray from her core. She paints a simple, yet vivid description of herself: “I’m only warm on a cold winter’s day.”

She rounds out the project with a dose of humor in conjunction with serious advice on “Smoking Your Weed,” based on the true story of a woman who only sought out Silvas’ friend for the high (literally). Silvas turns this cautionary tale of being mindful of the people around you into a sedated jazz number that closes out the phenomenal project.

Silvas expresses vulnerability in vastly different ways throughout E.G.O., whether telling an ex-lover that regardless of the way she broke his heart, she harbors true love for him on “Just For the Record” or wishing she could fulfill someone else’s vision on “Girls in California.” The artistry Silvas displays on E.G.O. feels as though she’s standing in the midst of an open abyss, calling out to the lonely souls who are drawn to her. “What I am will never go out of style,” she proudly lets the listener know, true words spoken by a compelling artist who will always embody such an authentic way of life.