Låpsley @ Saint Luke's, Glasgow, 17 Mar

Although she's been making music for close to a decade now, there's a sense of nowness which always attaches itself to Låpsley. The Liverpool-born singer-songwriter has an uncanny ability to capture the zeitgeist, a habit laid bare on her latest album Cautionary Tales of Youth – a terrifically modern reflection of what it means to muddle through life and love. Released in January of this year, the album makes up the bulk of tonight's setlist as she takes to the stage at a busy Saint Luke’s. 

Composed in lockdown, the tracks are a swirl of introspective love songs which celebrate and skewer romance in equal measure. In between tracks Låpsley talks candidly to the crowd about her pandemic breakup and eventual breakthrough (“had a breakdown, basically”). She kicks off her heels after performing the first track – a soaring rendition of Say I’m What You Need, a yearning anthem which is called back later, bookending the set. “You’ve seen the shoes now, so I don’t need to wear them anymore” she says casually, freeing herself up to dance through the rest of the performance. 

Lapsley live at Saint Luke's, Glasgow, 17 Mar by Dale Harvey

First finding success as a teenager with her debut album Long Way Home, Låpsley’s distinct brand of emotive electronica gave her a couple of early hits in her career – the confessional Hurt Me and the infectiously danceable disco-remixed Operator. Both are popular with the Saint Luke’s crowd and provide good opportunities for singalongs. But it's the new tracks which shine brightest. Her pitch-perfect vocals have never sound better than they do in the room’s church dimensions. 

Now on her third record, Låpsley seems more sure-footed than ever as an artist. Free from shackles, her new material is unrestrained in its influences, jumping deftly from classic pop, to R'n'B, to disco. The through-line is Låpsley herself, whose increasing lyrical honesty positions her as a friend-like figure to the crowd. Her performance of new track Lifeline is a highlight and has the audience entranced. 'Are you lonely? Are you hurting? Is your sleep right?' she asks on the song, and her natural rapport with the audience gives you the sense that she really does care.