In recent years, Lizzy McAlpine has risen to fame as one of the queens of love and heartbreak. Not only does her music showcase her vocal talent, but her intricate storytelling skills as well.
These continuous elements, mixed with a blend of the pop and folk genres, have led her to create a unique sound that no one can compare to. On April 5, 2024, the singer released her third studio album, “Older,” an intimate fourteen-track album that brings you on the heart-wrenching journey of a past relationship.
The project begins with, “The Elevator,” a short and soft, yet powerful ballad that perfectly introduces the rest of the album. It has a slow build and an intense ending, which basically summarizes the relationship she describes throughout the remainder of the songs. With the lines, “It wasn’t slow, it happened fast// and the only thing I saw was you,” signifying the initial high of her relationship that was felt before its downfall.
The next track is “Come Down Soon,” a personal standout as the higher tempo and guitar progression highlights her folk side. While the song seemingly continues with the feeling of being at the height of a relationship, it hints at an impending doom as she sings, “Nothing this good ever lasts this long for me// Oh it’ll come down soon.”
With the following three tracks, “Like It Tends To Do,” “Movie Star” and “All Falls Down,” McAlpine teeter-totters between the intoxicating feeling of being in love and the dreadful feeling of falling out of it.
Songs six and seven, “Staying” and “I Guess,” solidify the feeling of falling out of love between both parties. As the artist gracefully sings on top of slow melodies, lines such as “How can you look so peaceful// When you know I’m gonna leave?“ are sung.
While you can tell things are coming to an end, the relationship seems to drag out a little longer between “Drunk, Running,” “Broken Glass” and “You Forced Me To.” A toxic circle of lies, fighting and coming back together reveals itself. At this point musically, the tempo of the songs begins to get faster, with bouncy guitar riffs all throughout.
The album continues with the title track, “Older.” In this song, the tempo slows back down and the piano becomes prominent as McAlpine reflects on the relationship that she knows should have ended a while ago, but hasn’t yet. She sings, “Wish I was stronger somehow… somewhere I lost all my senses” and “I wish I knew what the end is.”
Immediately after the title track, the story and the overall sound take an upward turn. On “Better Than This,” McAlpine realizes she can and will do better. The melodies sound brighter and McAlpine’s voice sounds hopeful rather than melancholic.
On the next song, “March,” the gentle piano returns as the singer gets vulnerable for a second and admits to revisiting old habits and going back to her ex for a small amount of time.
The album concludes with “Vortex,” another piano ballad that starts slow as the artist looks back on her relationship, but builds as she becomes more confident in her abilities to let go. She admits that even though the relationship is over, she still thinks about her old partner. Concluding with the line, “Someday you’ll come back, and I’ll say no,” McAlpine finishes the album on an optimistic note, leaving behind a destructive past.
Overall, “Older” is a beautiful album through and through, which follows the highs and lows of an unhealthy relationship. Lizzy McAlpine knows how to flawlessly deliver a moving narrative without distracting from the music. If you get the chance, “Older” is definitely worth the listen.
Recent Comments