Grace Ives’s latest offering, Girlfriend, delves deep into the turbulent waters of her past drinking habits. The New York-based indie artist, known for her signature jingly-jangly synth-pop, lays bare the messy realities of her “drinking years” on this, her third album. The record is a fascinating tapestry woven with whispered confessions of shame, defiant shouts of denial, and a fervent desire for a new beginning. These raw emotions are juxtaposed against vibrant soundscapes featuring elegant strings, bubbling keyboards, quirky samples, and delicate acoustic guitar melodies. It’s a sonic experience akin to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, but with the participants expressing themselves through the vibrant palette of a Roland MC-505.
In a move that perfectly encapsulates Ives’s penchant for directness, she penned her own press release for Girlfriend. In it, she candidly describes the album as a narrative of a “crash out” that culminated in “hospital bills galore.” Her words paint a vivid picture: “I fell down stairs. I called out sick; I stole; I was a s**y girlfriend, a bad daughter; I abandoned the few friends I had; I cried and vomited beyond bile. Gross.” This unflinching honesty about her struggles and their consequences won’t come as a surprise to her followers, especially those familiar with her breakout second album, 2022’s Janky Star. On that record, she recounted an incident where she fainted during a yoga session, lamenting, “Oh, what a loser sound/I let out when I hit the ground.”
Having spent her entire life with the same partner, Ives embarked on a solo journey to Los Angeles to create Girlfriend. This geographical shift seems to have infused the album with a sense of expansive openness, particularly evident in its more spacious arrangements. The vast Californian skies appear to have influenced her sound, allowing for a greater sense of breathing room.
Solitude and Self-Discovery
On the track “My Man,” the album transitions from a gentle, doo-dat piano tune to a grand, swelling synth anthem. Here, Ives explores periods of solitary reflection, detailing her experiences walking her dogs, embarking on lonesome drives, and even carving her name into tree bark. The chorus of the song is a powerful cry of questioning ambiguity: “Tell me where I lost my way completely/ I’d be his shadow just to have his back/ Every single guy I meet completes me/ I need a lover who can love me back.” This raw vulnerability underscores her search for identity and connection.
Embracing Chaos and Creativity
The lead single, “Stupid Bitches,” is a compelling plea for “kindness over honesty,” set against a backdrop of euphoric, rave-inspired synth chords. The chorus features her earnest plea, “Don’t hurt me any more.” The track evokes echoes of t.A.T.u.’s iconic 2002 hit “All The Things She Said,” capturing a similar sense of explosive confusion and emotional intensity.
Further into the album, listeners might detect subtle influences. The track “Avalanche” features a splashy electropulse that might remind some of Enya, while “Neither U Nor I” carries volcanic echoes of Björk’s “Human Behaviour.” In this latter song, Ives describes a pain that is “hot like a knife/ Stab in my chubby side.” While some of these new sonic explorations might leave listeners yearning for the very tracks that inspired them rather than seeking more from Ives herself, her warm, feathery vocals consistently draw you back in. Her voice, often submerged within the mix, rises to the surface on the swaying hip-hop beat of “Drink Up” and powerfully cuts through on “What If.”
A significant concern for artists grappling with addiction is the fear that achieving sobriety might stifle their creative fire, leading to a dulling of their unique artistic edge. However, Grace Ives masterfully proves that one can indeed shed unhealthy habits while retaining a distinctive brand of creative chaos. On Girlfriend, she sounds more courageous than ever, channeling her craving for highs into the very fabric of her music. She fearlessly experiments with new instruments and boldly navigates a diverse range of genres. Consequently, Girlfriend can be a challenging album to fully grasp on first listen. Yet, for anyone navigating the aftermath of a particularly intense period and now seeking, like Ives, to “drink up the day,” this album offers the perfect soundtrack to a renewed sense of possibility.
