This is the indie-rock band's third album, and it opens with a folky strum of guitar supporting the introspective vocals. Singer/guitarist Emily Massey strikes a pretty perfect balance of emotion and indifference in her delivery. Drums come in for the second song, and things begin to take motion. In some ways, it brings Cat Power to mind. The upbeat strum is counterbalanced by the speculative tone of the vocals. It kinda jams off this one theme, not the most dynamic writing style, but works for what it is at present; time will tell if this becomes a formula, if it begins to bore me or not.
"Better Man" has a more garage rock feel; it's not a Pearl Jam cover but catchy in its own right. Emily sings out in her upper register here. The full band fleshes things out much better here. Their songwriting is super compact, with everything clocking in around three minutes. The title track has a punky riff that keeps the song bouncing along. It almost has a Boygenius feel. There is a slight tinge of post-punk's more new wave side to "Red Car". They bring things back down for "Not For Nothing", as her vocals step up into the spotlight. The arrangement is sparser, but her vocals carry the weight. The plucked strings border on the country side of folk.
They step back into a more wandering, introspective vocal pondering for "Entertainer" that benefits from the shifting dynamic of a rock chorus. This recalls 90s artists like Liz Phair. "Like Me" drones more like an Ethel Cain soug but without the emotional weight. "Spill" ambles with its slacker strum. I appreciate the added melancholy of "Up to You," which she balances with jumping into higher notes before it floats off like dream pop.It is one of the album's strongest songs as it is also one of the most unique. "Slip Away" is more reflective like a ballad. Overall, this album works for me and I appreciate the direction they are headed, I will give it a 9.
No comments:
Post a Comment