Lizzy McAlpine has been one of the queens of the indie/folk-pop genre, whether you knew her music or didn’t. Her first album, Give Me a Minute was a break from the busy moments of life and leaned into the homebody mindset. The aesthetic shifted with Five Seconds Flat, which was reminiscent of a tumultuous love, hidden under the cover of the night and the insecurities that brings. Older is an even further stripped-down album, leaning into raw vocals and natural instruments.
There’s a jazzy twist to the album, on songs like “All Falls Down” and “Come Down Soon.” She brings in the introspection on tracks like “Movie Star” and “Like It Tends To Do.” The title track reflects on her transition through her twenties and she gets personal in a way she hasn’t done in her previous works. “Older” shows McAlpine leaning into her insecurities and everything growing brings, from heartbreak to pure friendships.
I was lucky to hear the tracks “Broken Glass” and “I Guess” nearly a year ago, at her Atlanta show. The production on both tracks again brings out the lyrics, as does the production on the entire album. The catchy vocalizing on “I Guess” during the pre-chorus was a joy to sing at her concert, in between the silence of the new song, and it stays just as catchy now. It brings a light of hope and positivity to a song with rather forlorn lyrics. “Broken Glass” reflects a painful relationship that was doomed from the start, and the mellow production helps to emphasize this.
If Five Seconds Flat was Lizzy McAlpine flexing her musical creativity when it came to music and production, Older brings it back to the heart of Lizzy’s craft — her lyrics. The story and introspection of each song is refreshing and enjoyable. Despite the backing tracks being more simplistic when it comes to the elements, each serves so well to convey the mood and growth of her songs, allowing McAlpine to achieve exactly what she sets out to. If you don’t do anything with an upcoming rainy day, I highly recommend at least listening to this album; it really is so wonderful.
Rating: 9.5/10
