Lizzy McAlpine Is Tangled In Confusion and Contradictions On New Album ‘Older’
Stella Feinstein
The American songwriter and producer Lizzy McAlpine believes that “nothing this good ever lasts this long for me,” at least according to her song “Come Down Soon.” If the “good” in question is her music career—it’s going to last much longer than she fears, especially with the release of her passionate, tear-jerking third studio album, Older.
Photo by Baeth
While she rose to fame through her use of symbolic storytelling in her standout sophomore album five seconds flat—her latest record release has stripped all metaphors and rules, meticulously depicting her recent step into adulthood.
The fourteen tracks of Older are produced largely with acoustic guitars and pianos, with the occasional simple drum beat, or string section to tie the instrumentals together. Electronic sounds and instruments are only incorporated to emphasize emotions in certain songs, like the confusion in the standout track “Drunk Running,” the dystopian nature of the relationship faced in “Broken Glass”, and the whirling juxtapositions of the finale in “Vortex.”
McAlpine simply wrote songs talking herself through her ever-changing life full of love, loss, and delusions while trying to reconnect with what makes her herself again. The sonic similarity throughout the album provides comfort in the artist’s vulnerability and healing. The artist will set out on “The Older Tour” this year with dates including her first arenas, and multiple nights at Radio City Music Hall. Keep an eye out for her name as it will soon take over households all across the country.
