Imposter Syndrome, guitarist Sophie Lloyd’s debut album, is a love letter to the bravado and larger-than-life swagger of 80s rock.
But rather than slapping on some spandex and digging up some fossils to replicate what came before, it sees the sometime YouTube sensation teaming up with a bevy of 21st-century rock singers, who add fresh vitality and vibrance to good old-fashioned rock’n’roll.
In turn, Lloyd offers an arena-sized stage for her guests to shine: Inglorious frontman Nathan James earns some redemptive credit from recent(ish) band-and-social-media drama on greased-up rocker Do Or Die, while Lzzy Hale is an undeniable force of nature on the towering title track.
Not all tracks sizzle with the same potency – Runaway, featuring Steel Panther's Michael Starr, feels like a rote celebration of tropes best left buried – but on the whole this album is a joyous and triumphant experience that shows Lloyd is more than ready for the spotlight.
