Lenny Bull – Don’t Talk About It
Some singers like to show off their vocal range. They like to impress with their skills by reaching every key possible. Some singers, however, are much better when they’re not putting the vocal talents to the forefront. They choose to treat their songs like a conversation with their audience, rather than a showcase for themselves. Lenny Bull finds herself in this category of no-frills vocalists. She follows in the great tradition of cool laid back female singers like Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde. She has a voice and tone that immediately greets you like an old friend and wraps you into her world.
Her debut single “Don’t Talk About It” is a perfect exercise in simplicity. There’s no fancy tricks or showboating; just a great melody, with grade-A backing from an airtight band. The song is less headbanger and more head-nodder. The breezy rhythm invites you to simply kick back and enjoy the chilled guitar strum, the groove of the smooth bass-line and the precise beats of the drums.
The highlight is Bull herself, with her silky vocal complimenting her biting, playful lyrics. many aspiring writers love to cover general themes of love and heartbreak. Bull chooses to take aim at one of life’s many irritating obstacles; people who chat shit. People who like to gossip and exaggerate rumours are a regular nuisance in everyday life, and it’s a nuisance that Bull picks and prods at with frustration and boredom.
It takes a special talent to take a subject that people encounter every day and put an interesting spin on it. On the basis of “Don’t Talk About It”, Bull has that talent in spades. With her debut EP set for release later this month, it looks like we’ll be hearing a lot more from Lenny Bull. Thankfully, there are a lot more frustrations in life for this witty and insightful artist to throw shade at, and that’s a very exciting prospect.
Words Jack Murphy
