Masuk Free Press

The folk genre is dying.

In the modern age we live in, we have lost the echoes of musicians like Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan. Large musical genres such as pop and country reign supreme over our ears. In the darkness of repetitive music, however, there is a radiant, folk-driven light named Lizzy McAlpine. At 27 years old, McAlpine is one of the rare cases of a folk artist that is embraced by the popular music crowd. On September 18th, she released her fourth album entitled Angel, and I would say it lives up to its name. Over the course of 14 tracks, McAlpine covers themes of messy heartbreak, true love for someone else, and true love for oneself.

There are several elements that made me fall in love with this album, the first of which being its production. McAlpine uses simple instrumentals behind her songs that perfectly blend with her voice and the meaning behind each track. Whether it be just a traditional acoustic guitar or a simple piano, each sound of hers sounds purposeful and intricate, doing what instruments are made to do: amplify the singer and their message. Along with stunning instrumentals, McAlpine’s voice is to die for. She has an incredibly sweet and youthful tone that can shapeshift into maturity when needed, while also having a gorgeous range of lower, powerful notes to higher, emotional ones. None of her songs are produced in a way that masks her real voice, emphasizing what a naturally beautiful voice she has, a somewhat rare quality in an era filled with auto-tuned songs.

Another element of the album that captured my attention was the songwriting. On her previous three albums, the theme of heartbreak was McAlpine’s forte when it came to writing. While that theme is also apparent on this album, the theme of love shines alongside it. The way she writes about love and heartbreak is so honest and open that it makes your heart warm or even make you cry. The love song that stood out to me the most was, “Over country.” The song is about having a love in your life that has no boundaries or limits to it. In it, she sings, “I can wander east/ I can fork the road/ I can try my best to be far from home/ But no matter where/ It will find me,” displaying the capacity to which her love exists. This song is my favorite of the album not only because of its honest lyricism, but also because her description of love matches the way I’ve always pictured it from a young age. I also find that I can relate to the song even if I am not in a romantic relationship myself because love is a universal feeling that comes in so many forms.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the heartbreak song that stood out to me the most was, “Ugly things.” There are several heartbreak songs on this album, and each and every one contains fantastic, raw writing that is both relatable and truthful. With all that being said, this song was the one that stood out to me because of how much I understood its message. The song is about how McAlpine wishes the negative things about someone made her want someone less, when in reality it made her want someone more. This is yet another example of a universal message, because I think most people have found themselves in similar situations. I love this song so much given that I can’t think of another song that talks about something so specific like this one does and in such a beautiful way. The lyrics, “All the ugly things will come back around/ Wish they made me not love you,” feel like a direct punch to the gut.

Finally, another aspect of this album that I absolutely adored is its theme of self-love. At first glance and initial listen, the title, Angel, makes you think McAlpine is referring to someone in her life that poses as angelic. Yet in reality on the album’s title track, which is also the closer, you realize that the angel is actually McAlpine herself with the lyrics, “Angel in a brilliant light/ Watching me/ Smile at her through the glass/ Home and free/ I have always been here waiting/ Just to be.” The concept of the angel being someone you see in the mirror and a symbol of self love is both genius and inspiring. The overall message of the album is really that love and heartbreak should be things that make you appreciate yourself even more, making McAlpine someone listeners can refer to when they need that comfort.

If you can’t tell by this review, I loved this album from start to finish. If you are someone that listens to mostly the same things and wants to expand your musical taste, there is no one I can recommend more than the angel herself, Lizzy McAlpine.