Album Review: Lauran Hibberd – ‘Garageband Superstar’

Teeming with regional quirks and spiky guitar lines, Isle of Wight's burgeoning scuzz-pop darling saves you the ferry on ‘Garageband Superstar’ – a debut LP with all the verve and aplomb of the genre’s greats.

It’s a sense of irresistible charm and originality, however, that makes these tracks’ among Hibberd’s best yet. ‘Average Joe’, packed with laugh-out-loud vignettes, catalogues the mundanity, pomposity, and sheer ridiculousness of Little England, while the radio-ready pop-punk of ‘Step Mom’ could soundtrack a re-make of Wayne’s World. Placing herself as the punchline of the jokes, a quirk we were introduced to on last year’s ‘Goober’ EP, Hibberd’s self-effacing songwriting reaches new peaks.

Such combustible anthems could easily take themselves too seriously, as we’ve seen pop-punk’s new-wave become partial too (ahem, MGK), but her meld of self-destructive mantras and witty observational lyricism (from longjohns to Bichon Frise dogs) make ‘Garageband Superstar’ an endearingly down-to-earth listen. This doesn’t stop Hibberd from venturing Stateside into collaborative territory, however, as she ropes in DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit for a hip-hop-inspired cut that culminates in a minute or so of delightful fuzzy rock (‘Keep Running’), while vocals on the title track are provided by no-less than punk linchpins Wheatus. 

A bold statement of intent that further hones her beloved buzzy sound, Hibberd has created a collection of brilliantly bratty outsider anthems that any twenty-something would find hard-pushed not to relate to. Lauran certainly is a (garageband) superstar.

Printed in LICKS Magazine: Issue #7.