Lucy Crisp has always wanted to write a song that allows her fans ‘to either dance, break objects in a rage room, or both’. It’s fitting then that this desire pithily summarises ‘Locked Down’, a synthpop ballad that confronts melancholy with unbridled hope.
‘Locked Down’ bounds like a buoyant puppy’s first post-lockdown game of fetch, and with good reason. While it’s easy to tire from the recent boom in post-pandemic lockdown-themed music, Crisp’s lyrics are unique.
The singer-songwriter has a genetic condition called Cystic Fibrosis, meaning she was required to shield during the pandemic, even when lockdowns ended. From this often challenging time she’s created a song that’s farsighted in its optimism. ‘One day I’ll leave this town’ she sings resolutely before adding that ‘nothing can stop me now’, sounding almost like she’s intent on proving someone wrong.
Crisp sings with as much aplomb as the synth-driven instrumental that backs her. Chords pulsate and swell intently. It’s fiercely danceable and makes Crisp sound decidedly free – the confidence behind her singing only adding to the music’s poise.
Fundamentally, the song is excellently written. Synthesisers may drive the music, but it’s recognisable from the melodic chorus alone. Crisp’s descending vocals sound warm and homely, ironic for a song that’s heavily themed around departure.
This, from an artist whose releases remain few. It’s an exciting single and a rarity too. It’s difficult to sound this upbeat without creating something saccharine. Crisp’s success actually lies with her not being upbeat, per say. Rather, “Locked Down’ is Crisp sounding simultaneously joyous and vulnerable, but genuine in doing so.
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