Luvcat – Vicious Delicious
Gothic Pop | Alternative Pop
90%
sophie morgan
Live Review: Luvcat, Deaf Institute Manchester, 11th Nov 2024
There’s a deeply tempting magic attached to the idea of fresh starts. When you move to a new place, strike up a conversation with a stranger, and it dawns on you that their entire perception of you hinges on what you say and do next. Everyone you meets knows a different version of you, and every first meeting is a blank state to create the ideal version of who you want to be. Belwood favourite Sophie Morgan took that idea and ran with it when crafting her new alter ego Luvcat. Her new project pairs the romantic allure of a smoky jazz club with the dark gothic storytelling of Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen – with a hearty dash of playfulness and theatricality thrown in for good measure. Luvcat’s beguiling mystique has clearly captured people’s imaginations, as the project’s popularity and influence has been racing like wildfire in just the past year. Fresh off the continent, having just supported The Last Dinner Party across Europe, I caught Luvcat on the first stop of her debut UK headline tour for a bewitching night of mystery and mischief. Continue reading
Top Tracks: Luvcat – He’s My Man
I adore a good murder ballad. The sinister storytelling, carving out a clear identity for some villainous character, a wicked darkness that feeds the part of your brain that delights in morbid curiosity. It’s a time honoured tradition which nonetheless manages to feel underexplored; all the more reason to champion one of the rare shining examples when it strolls so magnetically into the spotlight. Having already begun to curate a seductively gothic sound with the sublime debut single ‘Matador’, Luvcat play to their strengths beautifully by weaving that same darkness into a bewitching murder ballad. With a soft western twang as rich and heady as a fine red wine backing up Sophie Morgan’s velveteen vocals, ‘He’s My Man’ tells the tale of of an obsessive housewife slowly poisoning her husband to ensure that he stays by her side forever. Whatever captivating concoction Luvcat have poured into this track has left me unable to leave its side also. Combining the fervent fanaticism of Annie Wilkes from Misery, with a beguiling air of twisted romanticism, ‘He’s My Man’ is a sterling sophomore outing for this entrancing ensemble.
Top Tracks: Luvcat – Matador
The romantics among us hold firm to their faith that the sheer force of love can move mountains. We know our own hearts, we know how deep the well of devotion and passion inside runs. Yet not all hearts are created equal, and some will remain closed and empty despite all our best efforts to spark something within. ‘Matador’ plays as a cautionary tale about how hoping your love will be enough to fix or change someone will only lead to you getting hurt by their games. Instead of smoothing away the rough edges of a person that isn’t right for you, like a river eroding stone, those sharp edges just keep cutting deeper the harder you try to hold on. This stunning debut single from Luvcat, the new project from Belwood favourite Sophie Morgan, pairs plaintive soulful romanticism with a dash of Nick Cave-esque gothic macabre. With an off kilter beat that reminds me a little of ‘Stagger Lee’, ‘Matador’ superbly uses its evocative lyricism and Sophie’s ever alluring vocals to weave a graphic tragedy about a love gone to waste.
Top Ten Videos of 2021
Before our list season dives into the year’s marvellous music, it’s time for one more list celebrating 2021’s most stunning visual splendour. We’re talking the acts that utilised the medium of music videos to its fullest potential with their delightful dance moves, creative concepts, and cinematic storytelling. So, without further ado: lights, camera, action! Continue reading
Top Tracks: Sophie Morgan – Always
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for character driven songs. Those moments when an artist decides to walk awhile in someone else’s shoes and tell a part of their story. Often I find it offers that little extra hit of escapism, something we could all use with these dark and lonely lockdown days getting us down. As it happens though, ‘Always’ hits pretty close to home in that regard, as it tells the tale of someone for whom isolation feels all too familiar. “I had that first line “leave the tv on” about watching dodgy daytime television shows… It made me think of elderly people, maybe who have lost their significant other, spending most days dreaming of special nights dancing together, losing a little bit of sanity with each passing day alone“. Such moving inspiration has lovingly been brought to reality with this sublime new single. Sophie Morgan’s signature wistful warmth and vivid imagery offering a bittersweet blend of the blissful escape of nostalgia and the painful pangs of loneliness. The song is stunning as ever from this Belwood favourite, but it’s the accompanying video that really sets it apart. The wonderful choreography capturing all the grace and elegance of the golden age of Hollywood, but all the while the façade ready to fall away and bring us back to reality.
Belwood Music Awards 2020
It’s time to celebrate not only the blog’s 6th birthday, but also the chance to say a wholehearted “fuck you!” as we finally leave 2020 behind. It’s been a deeply challenging year, and the road ahead is still rough and uncertain, but if there’s anything we can take away from our time in quarantine, it is learning to better appreciate the little things in life. Even a music industry left battered by the impact of Covid and incompetent governments has still been able to produce some incredible releases for us to cling on to. Before we put this crazy year in the rear view mirror, let’s take one last look back at the music that helped us through it all. Continue reading
Top Ten EPs of 2020
The medium of choice for rising stars, an invaluable tool for up and coming artists, EPs are the oft overlooked lifeblood of the music industry. It’s always been our most hotly contested list as the wealth of great EPs often represents the very best and brightest new acts on the scene. In a music industry decimated by Covid-19 however, these artists are amongst those hardest hit. So as we reel off our favourite EPs from our least favourite year, if you stumble across a release that resonates with you, we ask that you do your bit to support the artists in whatever way you can. Continue reading
Top Ten Songs of 2020
If this year has taught me anything, it’s that no matter how crazy things get, there’s always a song out there to keep you grounded. A little musical oasis to take sanctuary in when you lose your way. Each track here has in some way provided just the escape I needed at some point this past year, and hopefully they can offer you the same: Continue reading
Top Tracks: Sophie Morgan – Unwinnable War
The best things in life are worth fighting for, even if it occasionally means clashing with those we care about. Even with those we hold closest to our hearts, the ones we love and our dearest friends and family, you’re likely to fall out every once in a while. The mark of a strong relationship isn’t making out that everything is perfect, but through confronting problems and ultimately emerging stronger on the other side. That said, sometimes we can find ourselves chasing an “other side” that simply isn’t there. You can end up fighting tooth and nail with someone to keep them in your life, only to be blinded to the fact that the fight is all you know. ‘Unwinnable War’ is the realisation that they’re not worth the energy. Belwood favourite Sophie Morgan has really outdone herself with this latest single. Her vocals carry the same distinctive warmth and elegance as ever, and yet somehow every sublime lyric seems to roll off her tongue with more clarity and meaning than ever before. The soft and sparse arrangement swaying back and forth, punctuated with a brief mournful howl of guitar. The bittersweet melodies that tug at your heartstrings and linger in your thoughts. There’s no fight when it comes to loving this song, it welcomes you with open arms. This stunning single is a poignant reminder that sometimes the bravest course you can take isn’t to keep fighting, but to admit that it’s time to walk away.
Belwood Music 