Runrummer: Elevator
Album – Out Now
Digital
Capitalising on the momentum that has garnered her widespread support across national press and radio, Runrummer unveils her vibrant new album, Elevator. Transitioning seamlessly between pulsing electronic alt-pop soundscapes and moments that lean into indie-pop territory, the 11-track album showcases Runrummer’s knack for crafting infectious soundscapes that are both commercially appealing and musically intricate.
With inventive, layered electronics and subtly placed, beautifully played guitar, the album strikes a perfect balance, infusing accessible melodies and relatable songwriting with a fluorescent, alternative edge.
Opening with the bouncing synth and lo-fi beat of Float, the album starts with an irresistible vintage, sepia-toned glow. The boxy, telephone-filtered vocals soon enter, delivering a lyrical play on the album’s title as the words, “You elevate me to a place where I have never been, Elevator,” glide above the soundscape before it shifts into a beautiful, delay-tinged keys riff that dances above the lo-fi backdrop.
Ending with a wash of analog arpeggiators and a sea of ethereal vocal harmonies, the intro track sets a bright alternative-pop glow that continues across the album. No One Knows You Better Than Me has a bright and uplifting tone with a tight synth and guitar lick that drives the track forward over the 4-to-the-floor 808 beat. Runrummer delivers intimate, heartfelt lyricism before entering a gorgeous, La Roux-esque chorus.
One of the album’s highlights, Crazy People, comes next, bringing an infectious sense of euphoria over a fuller band sound that contrasts jangling guitar against swells of synth to create a track that feels much more rooted in live instrumentation than the album’s openers. What stands out early in the album is that all three tracks have choruses to die for—catchy and repeatable yet emotionally attuned and, crucially, natural and unforced.
Elsewhere on the album, Lonely sets a more obvious melancholic, longing tone, while Summer Long brings a sun-kissed, disco-influenced danceability under its emotive vocals.
The album’s two highlights come at its midpoint: first, the uplifting ode to love, Orbit, with its blend of punching live drums, twinkling synths, and strummed guitars, which create a bright indie backdrop for the sweet and playful lead vocals. Beautiful and simple pop writing, the track perfectly showcases Runrummer’s potential to create complete, radio-ready hits as much as she is crafting tracks with subtle and, at times, experimental depth.
Not Quite Over You reflects the sunny tone of Orbit with a downbeat breakup track that feels like standing in the rain. Tight lo-fi drums, lightly strummed guitar, and subtle synth sit under dappled, delayed cuts of vocals and the radiant and sensitive lead line. Growing through its beautifully arranged palette of analog synth, bouncing bass line, and bass-heavy kick, the track’s style is Röyksopp-esque, contrasting against the bright indie tone of Orbit.
Closing the album with the acoustic, singer-songwriter feel of Don’t Know What I’d Do Without You and the quirky blend of electronics and plucky guitar on the alternative mix of All I Wanted Was To Be Romantic, the album’s final section really hammers home Runrummer’s musical diversity—able to switch between indie-pop and sprawling electronics while retaining a coherent sense of artist identity, reinforced by her instantly recognisable vocal tone.
The 11-track album is a stunner; it’s totally complete-sounding. Catchy, vibrant, musically interesting—it has it all. While in some ways, it would be nice to hear Runrummer push herself to create a piece with no commercial intentions that plays on her experimental side, as a project, this album doesn’t need it. It’s brilliantly balanced and restrained. As a new artist, Runrummer has all the time in the world to experiment with her sound and take it in any direction she chooses. For now, Elevator is a brilliant and exciting introduction to her sound.
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All words by Simon Lucas-Hughes. More writing by Simon Lucas-Hughes can be found at his author’s archive.
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