NEW MUSIC: Pete Lawrie

Here's a brand new name to Rarities: Pete Lawrie is a singer-songwriter hailing from Wales, who recently released his debut album A Little Brighter through Island Records. With a great selection of songs and a sound that he himself describes as "Southern blues country rock skiffle hop tronica", this guy is definitely one to keep an eye on in 2011.

Born on Penny Lane in Liverpool to a mother who plays oboe in the opera and a father who makes parts for wind instruments, Pete Lawrie reckons he never had a choice when it came to loving (and living) music. His earliest memories include being given a trumpet by his grandfather, who played brass on the original recording of 'Strawberry Fields Forever', and spending his summers driving around the south of France with his family with the sounds of The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Elton John playing through the car stereo. It was only natural that the young man would make his own way into the music world.

Although Pete has taken his time getting his debut album out there, taking an old school approach in nurturing his songs to ensure he was happy with them, he has already made quite an impression on the UK music scene. Pete has toured extensively in 2010 and 2011, performing alongside the likes of Paolo Nutini, Amy McDonald, Corinne Bailey Rae and Rumer. A headline tour of the UK in February was followed by a series of intimate London dates that proved very successful among this young singer-songwriter's fans. Pete has performed at Glastonbury and the Isle of Wight festival, and this summer is set to appear at Ireland's Body & Soul Festival at Ballinlough Castle, Co Westmeath on 18th and 19th June, which will also pay host to the likes of Lisa Hannigan and Fat Freddy's Drop.

Produced in part by Faithless’ Rollo Armstrong, A Little Brighter is an impressive collection of catchy songs from a confident and pop-savvy songwriter who knows exactly where he wants to go in life. Upbeat tracks such as 'In the End', 'All That We Keep' and the gospel-infused 'Fell Into the River', which preceded the album's release, are sure to be commertially successful pop pleasers, while 'Jimmy and the Birds on Fire' and 'Paperthin' is a glimpse into Pete's more tender side. Both songs are beautifully haunting and are just a couple of the album's many highlights. A Little Brighter showcases a fine balance of quality tunes and heart-felt songwriting, with Pete's gritty and engaging vocals standing out as the most appealing and memorable feature of this great debut. 

Deliciously infectious and a genuine piece of pop loveliness, this is one album that is sure to cement Pete Lawrie as one of music's ones to watch of 2011, while also making your day just that little bit brighter. Did you see what I did there?

To find out more about Pete, pay a visit to his official website or Facebook page, and keep it tuned to Rarities for an interview with the man himself, coming very, very soon. Until then, have a listen to one of A Little Brighter's sweetest tracks, 'In the End':

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