If acoustic moments of introspection are your thing, then This Is What It Feels Like by Gracie Abrams should be added to your must-listen immediately.
It's been a big year for 'sad girl autumn' with Adele's ballad driven post-divorce 30, and the huge re-release of Taylor Swift's RED, but alongside them is the quieter yet equally as raw This Is What It Feels Like which fits equally as well with the low moods and low lights of the colder months.
Despite this quiet feel, This Is What It Feels Like tackles big emotions like heartbreak, cynicism, and insecurity. Gracie Abrams isn't afraid to reflect on herself and admit that sometimes she might be the problem.
'Camden' is probably the most self-reflective of all the songs on the album - there's no talk of ext. It takes a simple yet mesmerising chord pattern that allows you to focus on the words that feel like they're flying out of her mouth like word vomit. The revelations in the song are so raw that you almost feel this was a draft that should have gone to a therapist but went to an album instead, in the best way possible.
Even the tracks that take a more upbeat and almost poppy instrumental have the melancholy undertone which runs through the whole album.The seemingly bouyant 'The Bottom' is full of sharp comments about her own inability to be consistent in relationships.
The EP overall shows a pure talent for songwriting that is rare to find but also shows Abrams as a talented producer, as she's credited on several of the tracks on This Is What It Feels Like. It also seems like as an artist, Abrams is a cumulnation of a lot of female artists on the scene at the moment. You can find hints of Lorde, Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo and Taylor Swift's folklore (no doubt thanks to Aaron Dessner's input on the project) in the mix and ino surprise really, as you'd struggle to find an indie artsit around now who isn't influenced by at least one of them, or someone similar.
This Is What It Feels Like isn't doing anything brand new, but it is proving that Abrams music career isn't just a Hollywood kid's vanity project; she has a genuine passion for writing and producing, and she's pretty damn good at it.
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