Indie folk artist Lizzy McAlpine recently released her fourth studio album, “Angel,” on Sept. 18. McAlpine perfectly fits into the sad teenage girl genre of music, going viral for her swoon-worthy lyrics about love as well as her thoughtful evaluations of the negative sides of relationships. In her music, she is able to mix vulnerability with depth and emotion in an often heartbreaking way. With Lizzy being a staple in my playlists, I was so excited for this album to release. Now that I’ve had the chance to properly digest it, I am ready to share my thoughts on each song.
“The Light in the Painting”
McAlpine began the album with a gentle, melodic ode to her lover. This song was written in 2024 during her tour for her previous album “Older,” and was the first song to be written for this album, according to Broadway World. To me, this song perfectly captured the angelic vibes that I was expecting out of this album. She describes the euphoric beginning of a new relationship, using bright metaphors like lightning, blinding, fire and heaven to represent the positive impact that her significant other has had on her life. She emphasizes her infatuation with her lover and describes their relationship as what love is supposed to be.
“Anybody’s Fool”
This song perfectly encapsulates the feeling of loss after a breakup. McAlpine continuously mentions knowing that the breakup was right while simultaneously missing the feeling of being wanted. She doesn’t want the relationship to be back, but she wants to know that her ex is just as hung up about it as she is. Especially with a breakup, you are thrown out of your routine, missing someone that you would see and interact with every day. Even knowing that the person wasn’t right for you doesn’t fix the uncertainty and curiosity about what life would be like if you didn’t break up.
“A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants”
This song brings a more upbeat melody, almost giving me the vibe of a musical, reflecting her recent time spent on Broadway. She calls out her ex Michael Hanano, who she split with in May 2024 after dating for about a year and a half. She describes his attention-seeking desires and his infatuation with her fame. The title of the song refers to the extra efforts he would go to try and make a good impression when he went to events with her. She would be unbothered about the event, while he would insist on getting a car wash or a new pair of pants to look his best. Even after their relationship ended, he moved on to do the exact same thing with a different famous singer, further proving his shallow intentions.
“I Have a Friend”
“I have a friend” was McAlpine’s take on a classic love song, filled with all the yearning and infatuation to make the listener swoon. She describes the meaning and purpose that he has given in her life, and I love the overall calming vibe.
“The Moon”
This song is one of my favorites from the album. McAlpine describes the complexity of keeping your independence while also being in a relationship. She presents herself as the moon and her partner as everything on earth, with her having to orbit around him because of gravitational pull. Self-determination and love are not easy to carry simultaneously, and McAlpine describes how easy it is to give up power to a lover.
“Ugly Things”
“Ugly things” is another song discussing the inner conflict that often comes with a breakup. Watching someone you used to know so well move through their life in a way that is completely foreign to you can be such a horrible feeling. She describes the “ugly things” that her ex is doing now and wonders if it is because of his loss of her, or if he is just a different person now. These feelings are also so complex because she’s still not over him and wishes that his actions made her not love him anymore. I think that Lizzy does a perfect job of encapsulating all of the feelings that you go through during a breakup. To me, breakups are usually positive, but the whiplash of such a big change is what leads to the feelings of loss and heartbreak.
“Soldier of the Road (feat. Fleet Foxes)”
When I saw that Lizzy would be collaborating with Fleet Foxes, I was so excited. To me, Fleet Foxes are the epitome of folk music and comforting fall vibes, pairing perfectly with Lizzy’s acoustic and emotional style. The angelic harmonies of Robin Pecknold add so much depth to the song. McAlpine describes her difficult relationship with touring and fame due to the exhausting cycle of the music industry. She feels that she is always either making records, selling records or touring the records, making any personal life outside of that hard.
“Peach”
This song compares her life to a peach, with one side being her personal life and the other being her life of fame. With help from her companion, she is learning how to balance the sides of her life. This is important to her because it is something that she has struggled with in the past. I love how the song kind of builds up to her letting out the rage of the confusion that she faces daily.
“Over Country”
“Over country” has taken social media, specifically TikTok, by storm. McAlpine describes her long-distance relationship and how healthy and secure it feels. A lot of people, including myself, have been able to relate to having someone you love be far away from you. I have personally found this song so meaningful in my first semester of college as an out-of-state student, remembering that there are people who love me all across the country and the world.
“Two Elevens”
McAlpine continues to expand on the complexity of a breakup, deciding that she’s over the relationship, but glad it happened. I love the call-and-response aspect of the song that she has with herself. To me, this song is her saying that she’s going to move on and that she and her past lover are on parallel lines that will keep going forever without intersecting.
“Our Strange Ways”
This song is about overthinking things that haven’t actually happened. McAlpine is imagining what her life would be like if she never met her significant other, and she doesn’t like it at all. I love the overall sound of this song and her strong emotions about how strong she feels for her new boyfriend.
“Mason’s Song”
“Mason’s song” encapsulates growing up with a best friend or sibling, and gives the listener a nostalgic and emotional feeling. She is referencing Mason Stoop in the song, her close friend and music collaborator. He has not only helped her navigate her music career, but also her life. Naturally, with any close relationship, bickering and conflicts happen, but ultimately she is so grateful for his role in her life. My favorite part of the song is at the end when he echoes her words of “I can’t do it alone,” showing his endless support for her and impact on her life.
“The Crowd”
Similarly to her other albums, Lizzy used the 13th track on her album as a tribute to her late father. She describes the guilt she feels about the time when he was alive, not being able to remember much about it. She continuously references living her life with his memory in mind, thinking about how he’d feel about her life and success. This song is incredibly emotional, having the potential to leave any listener in shambles.
“Angel”
Closing the album with another love song seemed like the perfect ending to me. It reflects the opening track “The light in the painting,” and describes the feeling of being happy and in love. To me, this song just gives Lizzy McAlpine, perfectly showing her strengths and style of music. We are left knowing how important this connection is to her, and it makes you wonder if this will be different and not end in heartbreak.
As a whole, “Angel” was everything I hoped to see out of Lizzy McAlpine in this album. She leaned into the folk vibe, which is one of my favorite genres, and executed it perfectly. She took the listener on a journey of love, loss and gratitude, making this album one of my favorites.