ACL Live Shot: L.P.

Photo by Shelley Hiam

A fivepiece draped in ties, vests, and violins waited as its diminutive singer meticulously checked the levels on her microphone. "Uhhhh, the reverb?," she asked flatly, and then she was off. Within one verse and hook, L.P. – she of the Citibank commercials and sorcerous, meandering hands – channeled a vocal tone that measured three times the size of her frame. First it was "Someday," then "Salvation" and "Levitator," each projecting with dynamic vibrations quite peculiar. And let us count the ways in which this woman is peculiar. She's decked out like Bob Dylan, but talks like Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High ("You guys gonna see a lot of shows tonight? Fuck yeah you are, dudes."). She's penned tracks for Eminem and written huge hits for Rihanna. Of that, nothing stands out so much as her voice. And when her band's on a slow groove, it can be absolutely chilling. It's epic soundtrack music. She should be scoring slow motion movies about cliff dives.