Front cover of ‘Hinterland’

by Matthew Langham

Manchester-based Lonelady, real name Julie Campbell, returns after five years with the follow-up to her debut record Nerve Up. Her new album Hinterland is a clever throwback to ‘80s Manchester, with a solid core of electronic beats and catchy basslines reminiscent of classic New Order hits. The mechanical elements of tracks including ‘Bunkerpop’ and ‘Groove It Out’ give her perhaps an unfair comparison to La Roux, but she’s much better than that.

Her Joy Division/New Order reference points are patently obvious, but this record stands somewhere between Bowie and the Mancunian legends. The post-punk sensibilities are played out on ‘Red Scrap’ and ‘Mortar Remembers You’; with choppy, jagged guitar harmonics and a distinct nod to synth-based funk. The latter track ends with an impressive electronic crescendo. Hinterland is intellectual pop at its peak and Campbell deserves full credit for a successful follow-up. She isn’t afraid of pointing a way forwards for the pop landscape with fresh ideas and her heart-on-sleeve execution. (7/10)