– Allie Ruden, Staff Writer
Lizzy McAlpine’s third album, Angel, takes listeners on a winding road through Laurel Canyon. From slow, guitar-forward tracks to expansive landscapes, McAlpine tries on a new sound on Angel. “Ugly Things” is the second single on her newest album and is one of her most upbeat, rock-ish songs on the album.
Boston Alum
McAlpine, the Pennsylvania native and Berklee attendee, gained fame from her COVID-era singer-songwriter tracks like “Ceilings” and “Doomsday,” both of which were extremely production-heavy, with soaring instrumentals and dramatic finishes. Her newest album enlisted a small group of collaborators like Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall, who McAlpine has been working with for years. McAlpine explained that she wanted to keep her team smaller, and she opted for a much more pared-back sound in comparison to her previous albums.
McAlpine’s Return!
Angel has drawn many comparisons to 70s folk, and McAlpine has explained that artists like Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, and Crosby, Stills & Nash influenced her sound significantly. McAlpine even gave Nick Drake a writing credit on her song “A Car Wash And A New Pair Of Pants,” as she explained that she accidentally wrote the same chord progression as Drake’s “One of These Things First.” To me, this really shows how much of that era of folk influenced McAlpine, as she wasn’t even aware of Drake’s song’s similarities to her own. The whole album is absolutely lovely, and takes the listener from twangy guitar to steel pedal to violins and pianos.
A Not-So Ugly Song
In “Ugly Things,” McAlpine explores the idea of knowing someone so intimately while being apart from this person. The production on “Ugly Things” stands out among the more stripped-back folk tracks. It feels like the most pop-rock song on the album, and the track builds significantly throughout, as the end will have you singing along and swinging with McAlpine, as she almost creates momentum to carry the listener through the rest of the softer songs that follow. She writes lines like, “Hiding your sweatshirt on the top shelf” and “Reading your letter, you did all the dishes,” which highlights McAlpine’s specific and visceral writing. She places you into her story through little details, which is one of the strongest points of the album and her writing overall.
What’s Next?
McAlpine will begin touring her newest album this winter, starting in February. She will perform in Boston at the Agganis Arena on June 20th and 21st alongside indie darlings Searows and Post Animal. You won’t want to miss the former Berklee student in her former home city!
