It's a first mention at #TEAMw21 for Laura Beckwith, but so good was her single "Not Used To This" that we could not let it go past unnoticed and after all we love a piano ballad especially one that comes in at a slightly off kilter angle that makes it stand out from the rest of the pack.
Laura approaches the poor ex boyfriend situation from the side of not quite believing it when things are going well. The gentle opening piano notes give way as Laura explains
"It's been three weeks and I don’t even recognize myself
Honestly I'm still trying to figure out
Where you've been, this all feels too good right now
I’m waiting for you to let me down"
There's a slightly idiosyncratic style to Laura's phrasing across the verse, in the rising and the falling of her voice, it all makes for a more attention grabbing listen.
It paints a somewhat sad picture if your past experiences have all been quite so poor and Laura explains more in the chorus of how unaccustomed she is to being treated with a little respect.
"Forgive me, I'm not used to this
All I've ever known
Is something very different
I'm trying to let it go
It's kinda funny how it don’t feel right
I should be running right about this time
Forgive me, I’m not used to this
I'm not used to this"
The final repetition of the title is a cue, for more electronica and drum machines to join the overall sound,
"Promises, they would always get broken somehow
I lost my bet, you’rе still here, I don't understand
You'rе still calling me every night
What you're doing takes me by surprise
And a part of me doesn’t wanna go
And that's what scares me the most"
The song really bursts into life as Laura looks away from the past and accentuate the positives that are in her current and potential future, Musically though it does come at a price and seems a lot less sympathetic with the nature of the song than when it as just Laura and a piano. It would be lovely to hear how a piano only acoustic mix would have sounded.
"I'm not used to how your words turn into actions
And you mean just what you say
And flowers don't mean sorry
They just brighten up my day
You're never too busy to call and check if I'm okay
I hate how I keep pushing you away."
The last line is particularly moving as it points towards someone feeling that they are undeserving or just worried that it may all fall apart if she accepts that this is the real deal.
Musically though it does come at a price and the backing seems a lot less sympathetic with the nature of the song than when it was just Laura and a piano. It would be lovely to hear how a piano only acoustic mix would have sounded - the final run through of the chorus, with just Laura and a piano tellingly only makes that point even more. There are many positives to be drawn from this release and we look forward to hearing more from Laura Beckwith.
You can catch Laura at our Roadhouse Unplugged Event in Nottingham on the 15th February 2025
