“Do I Have Your Attention?” leans more nu-wave in feel — and let’s be honest, if Laura Cox hasn’t got it yet, she’s absolutely going to. She’s never really struggled in that department, to be fair. Back in 2008, Laura embarked on her journey as a guitar prodigy on YouTube, captivating millions with her fiery classic rock covers, and that early visibility has only ever been matched by graft, growth and genuine chops. Now on her fourth record, Trouble Coming feels like her most diverse, confident and rounded statement yet.
It wastes no time making that point. “No Need to Try Harder” is primal from the off — like Larkin Poe on a bender, there’s a feral urgency here, the sound of someone who wants it now and isn’t waiting around. “A Way Home” follows with supreme amounts of energy, all forward motion and intent, while “Trouble Coming” itself finds Cox equally comfortable in the shadows, the line “get out of her way” sounding impossible not to read as autobiographical.
There’s polish here, but never at the expense of bite. “Inside the Storm” shines with all the skill of a star in waiting, its pop sheen hinting at real crossover potential without sanding down the edges. “What Do You Know?” offers a moment of acoustic introspection — “staring at the world but not seeing anything” — before “Dancing Around the Truth” quite literally stomps its way back in, marrying groove with some stunning slide guitar.
As the album unfolds, it grows more revealing. “Out Of The Blue” edges closer to what feels real, emotionally speaking, while “The Broken” brings a punky, new-wave spark, sweet harmonies offset by a solo with genuine grit. “Rise Together” is a big old groover, built for connection and shared momentum.
Fittingly, “Do I Have Your Attention?” arrives late on as a stylistic pivot rather than a demand — a confident nod to nu-wave textures that only reinforces how comfortable Cox now is moving between worlds. And then “Strangers Someday” closes the record by asking the questions: “So close, so far and I have the feeling I know who you are.”
The same could be said for Laura Cox herself — familiar yet still evolving — and at this point, you might be best advised to just get out of her way.
