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i was recommended to listen to this album by my songwriting teacher so this review is a bit different to my previous ones, where i knew all the background info and had a really in-depth knowledge of the songs. this album is still relatively new to me. i did one full listen where i wrote notes on all the songs and i did a half listen-through then got distracted. so these are my very new thoughts on the album and definitely subject to change. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZUpYkPTCZ
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MY THOUGHTS ON EACH SONG58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEqiIeKfutm
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Give Me A Minute - This song feels like a maisie opener to me in the sense that it feels very deliberately written to be an opener and sets up the tone of the album. Its very pretty instrumentally and i also adore the backing vocal harmony hums. I don't have a lot to say about this song but i do like its mood and the way it prepares you for the rest of the album and it definitely draws me in and makes me want to hear more.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyhC9uE5D3
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Nothing / Sad N Stuff - This song surprised me with the shift in sound and theme halfway through when really i should have seen it coming because of the slash. Orla Gartland does a similar thing in her song, "Bloodline / Difficult Things". On my first listen, the change felt so sudden but I quickly got used to it and nearly missed it on my second listen. I love her high register in this song, especially in the 'nothing' section going from low register in the verse then bringing it up for the chrous. I love the piano in this, its so pretty.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS670ha9HMV
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Over-the-Ocean Call (Andrew) - The voices in the start are cute, I get the feeling Lizzy loves voice memos; the only other song of hers I know (Orange Show Speedway) has voice memos in the bridge. This song might be one that I vibe with the least on this album. I have a love-hate relationship with the guitar riff. At first I loved it but it got repetitive very quick. I love the build up in the bridge and the effect on the vocals. This song is actually two songs in one. There's literally a break in the middle, a few seconds of silence where "Over-the-Ocean Call" ends and "Andrew" starts. Its very interesting that she decided to put these two songs together and count them as one. Andrew is so stripped back and light, compared to the darker sound of Over-the-Ocean Call. My guess is that these songs are two sides of the same relationship or maybe two different perspectives of a breakup. Or maybe showing a more toxic relationship and then juxta-positioning it with a happier one. I'm not entirely sure. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqan4c8yNI
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I Knew - The sound of this song is so pretty. The bright guitar and piano notes, the strings (!!!), the backing vocals. The lyrics didn't really draw me in on first listen but I'm getting used to them. They just feel a little too telling with not a lot of showing. I don't know, usually I'm not too picky about that sort of thing with lyrics but I just don't feel it with these lyrics. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVlFM056Lu
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Where Do I Go? - The vocal effect on this song makes it sound like she's just recorded it on her phone as a voice memo which gives this song such an intimate vibe. I can picture her sitting on the bathroom on floor or something, just her and her guitar, writing straight from the heart. This continues for most of the song. There's only one small section where it changes and there's a subtle build and swell, her vocals get clearer, the instrumental switches to sparse piano notes and pads, then returns to its original voice memo sound. It breaks up the song a bit but to me it sorta ruins the intimate vibe a little bit. Thats just my personal preference. Towards the end there seems to be a second guitar added to the mix to add subtle notes which I find quite pretty and subtle enough not to ruin the vibe of the song. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMe9Q8lbK7E
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To the Mountains - I love the guitar. Also there's a double vocal track which adds some layers to the vocals (I'm so proud of myself for immediately noticing that detail (we put a double vocal track on one of my songs which is how I know what it is lol)). I love the humming harmonies which seem to be signature Lizzy. The strings also I just adore, I love how they start off plucking and then become long bowed notes. Also the bird song!!! I love when artists put bird song and sounds of nature in their songs. I love the theme of this song, its one I can definitely relate to. I often dream of escaping to some beautiful place to heal and process my emotions. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9LGjpfjqi
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You, love (interlude) - I'm personally not a huge fan of interludes, they're too short for me and often only make sense in the context of the album. I think its because I often don't listen to albums in context. Its very pretty but doesn't really give me much. Its just guitar and vocals which is very Lizzy. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbxp7S3Tb7
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Means Something - I relate to this song also because I too am delusional and choose what means something to me and what doesn't. The bvs are so pretty and i like the way they emphasise the end of a phrase. I love the instrumentation on the outro, the swelling background pads, the piano, the background noise of people talking, the sigh at the end. What a cute song, slightly on the short side but that works for the song. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfzMHrLDid
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Same Boat - A piano ballad! This song is a nice break from the guitar-centric songs and its refreshing. I love the dreamy backing vocals. And its cute that the guitar and piano have swapped roles, now the guitar is playing the background role and it works so well. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Py64pBYjQ
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Pancakes for Dinner - Finally a cute little love song! I'm loving the strings!!! (yes i say strings because I can't tell if its just violins or violins and cello or what. don't attack me). A cute little thing I noticed about the lyrics is that before the first chorus she pauses a little as if she's nervous but in the second chorus there's no pause because she's feeling more brave. More ambient people talking and laughter in the end. I'm noticing all of her patterns in song production lol. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFixtoUHxRC
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How Do I Tell You? - In my notes I've written "guitar pretty!!!" for basically all of the songs on this album and this song is no different. "Who the hell can write a love song without making it too sad?" is such a mood omg. I thought this album was purely about a breakup but now I'm realising the second half of it is more about moving on and finding a new person and being happy but feeling a bit guilty about it. 58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucEh4RqV64
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Apple Pie - Oh god, I love the harmonies on this album. They really make the songs so beautiful and haunting. The harmonies on this song are SO GOOD. I love this genre of song too; rebuilding and rediscovering love after heartbreak. I also must let you know that when she says "Let's rent a place" I immediately thought of Cornelia Street by Taylor Swift. Swiftie brain truly never goes away. But anyway, this song is very cute and possibly one of my favourites on the album.58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYLSHZzdlY
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Headstones and Land Mines - On the topic of my brain making connections where there aren't any, this song made me think of Crimson Rivers so I'd like to see the marauders fandom make edits to this song that rip my heart out. This song reminded me that this is a COVID album because she says "hug from six feet". People have mixed opinions on songs being too specific about the COVID era but I like it. Everyone can relate and it speaks of a different kind of pain and loneliness. This song is sad and bittersweet and feels very final. I love the outro and the few seconds of silence afterwards.
OVERALL
I definitely need to listen to this album more to form a true impression. It feels weird to feel so unemotionally attached to an album because I usually only listen to albums by artists I love. I definitely would buy this album on vinyl though, its very pretty and kind of reminds me of Maya Hawke's album "MOSS" which I absolutely love listening to all the way through on vinyl and I appreciate it more every time I do. I feel like this album will be similar in that regard and if I play it out loud it will creep into all corners of the room and i'll discover something new each time. I see the potential that I will love it but I'm just not there yet. I'm still noticing little things about the music and lyrics. I haven't listened to a full album in a while and its a little overwhelming all at once.
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