Good Riddance is the debut album from singer Gracie Abrams. It follows her “minor” and “This is What It Feels Like” EPs.
Good Riddance can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you listen to music.
Sound
The peaceful instrumentals and production (thanks, Aaron Dessner!) makes it easy to listen to over and over again. It’s a great album to listen to in the background while writing, doing chores, or to help you sleep.
The folksy guitar on This is What the Drugs Are For and upbeat sounds in Difficult are some of the most enticing parts of the album. Some of the songs on the first half of the album, however, sounded very similar to each other, which made it hard to differentiate between them on the first listen.
Gracie Abram’s delicate breathy vocals are the trademark of her music. They shine most in Amelie, Right Now, and I Know It Won’t Work.
Lyrics
The figurative language in the lyrics of Good Riddance shows Abrams’ growth as a writer. There is so much depth to dicept or simply enjoy in the lyrics. In Full Machine, Gracie writes, “I’m a shameless caller – You’re a full machine”, In I Know It Won’t Work, “I’m your ghost right now, your house is haunted,” and In Will You Cry, “When I scream, you’re my echo.”
Besides the figurative language, there is also a myriad specific details that create a vivid picture. From describing how Amelie wore her hair to where her crush in The Blue lives, Gracie’s writing makes the listener feel like they’ve been in the scene she’s describing. It feels like poetry.
The album chronicles the recovery from a painful breakup from the perspective of both people involved.
At the start of the album, Gracie blames herself for the relationship ending. The album title comes from a lyric in the opener, “Best”, where Gracie admits, You fell hard, I thought “good riddance”.
As the album progresses, Gracie writes from the perspective of the other person. Lyrics like “I wasted my breath trying to console you,” (I should hate you) and “all my imaginary friends are scared of you” (Fault line) show the side of the person who was hurt in the relationship.
In the penultimate song, Gracie has moved on from the broken relationship she left at the beginning, and “out of the blue” she finds a new lover. The Blue describes what it’s like to enter a new relationship and all of the fear and excitement that comes with it.
The final track, Right now, is a diaristic song about accepting where you are at the present moment. I can’t think of a more beautiful way to end an album about heartbreak. It leaves the listener on a hopeful note.
Amelie stands out from the rest of the album because it doesn’t appear to be about a romantic relationship, but a platonic one. Although all of the songs on the album have resonating lyrics, Amelie is the most hard-hitting. It’s a soulful song about a friendship that could have been. The repetition in the chorus of “Where did you go, Amelie?” symbolizes the desperation of wanting to get back a relationship.
Ranking
My top five favorite songs on the album are…
- Amelie
- The Blue
- Right Now
- Fault Line
- I Should Hate You
Have you listened to any of Gracie Abrams’ music? What would you like me to review next?
Leave a Reply