7/10
Laura Musgrave's debut EP 'The Longest Time' arrives with a clear understanding of what made early-00s pop-rock so effective: big feelings, sharp guitars and lyrics that make emotional messiness feel instantly singable. Across five tracks, the UK singer-songwriter explores relationships from several angles, moving between confidence, vulnerability, heartbreak and resilience without losing the punchy immediacy at the centre of her sound.
As it plays, there's an obvious connection to the era of Avril Lavigne and emotionally charged soundtrack-ready rock, while the track 'Inevitably' leans into the more heart-on-sleeve influence of Mayday Parade. Working with producer and mixing engineer Becky Willard, she manages to give those immediate influences a cleaner contemporary frame.
That balance is particularly effective on the opening single 'Crumbs'. As the lead single, it introduces the EP with confidence, pairing guitar-driven energy with her own direct, confessional style. From there, the EP widens its emotional range, looking at the highs and lows of modern relationships without losing sight of melody.
The songs are personal, but they're written with the kind of immediacy that invites us to place themselves inside them. It's a useful quality for a release focused on connection and disappointment, where recognisable emotions matter as much as narrative detail.
The release campaign also reflects her instinct for creating a wider world around the music. For a week, the EP is being transformed into a virtual theme park, with listeners receiving a digital passport to explore songs, stories and additional material. It's a playful extension of the project, and one that suits an EP already built around heightened emotion and vivid pop-rock presentation.
While it never hides its influences, 'The Longest Time' uses them as a foundation for a debut collection that feels bright, personal and confidently direct. The guitars hit, the emotions land, and the whole thing carries the satisfying rush of a soundtrack to a life still being figured out.
