The story of Olivia Rodrigo He is well known, a former Disney star released an album and became a pop star, following in the footsteps of Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomez, but, unlike them, his first album received critical approval and contained an album, “sour” about broken relationships and teenage angst, managed to shift comparisons to Billie Eilish and Lorde, artists who also wrote their own songs and also released great albums before the age of 20.
Now comes the hard test of the second album, “guts”, and Rodrigo aces it with flying colors, adding more guitars, something that in the current ‘mainstream’ scene can be considered almost revolutionary, and the trademark piano ballads that link him to Lord. The bad thing is that the two parties do not end up getting married, except for a couple of occasions, and ‘guts’ It seems, at times, like two different albums, on the one hand the more punk pop and guitar part, where he often uses refreshing jokes about his relationships and, on the other hand, the ballads of devastating grief in which he strips himself emotionally. .
I sincerely believe that it works better in the first, although there are exceptions, and that there is a better balance in an album that begins like an earthquake with a double explosion of “all-american bitch”with folk and acoustic beginnings that turned into a great punk pop song and “not a good idea right?” which continues on the same paths, the refreshing punk pop that is broken by an explosive chorus and even has a dirty and noisy solo guitar, which should be the only song on the entire Billboard list with one.. .
The album continued in style with its notable first single, “vampire”a piece of ballad that increases the rhythm and intensity, manages to combine the best of the two parts of Rodrigo, without a doubt, one of the songs of the year. “lazy” It also starts with a sweet acoustic guitar and Rodrigo shows his most angelic side, where it is clear that he sometimes names Simon & Garfunkel as an influence. Of course, lyrically it reminds a little of “Jolene” by Dolly Parton in the fact that this is a song that talks about another woman that he is supposedly jealous of but, at the same time, seems to be very attracted to him.
Then comes another of the indie rock branches with roots in the 90s, “ballad of a homeschooled girl”, which wouldn’t have been out of place on Wet Leg’s first album for the music and the biting lyrics. It’s a great song and it could easily be the third single from the album.
But, from here, not everyone can convince me, “making the bed” It’s an easy ballad, which even its good vocal performance can’t save from burning. “logical” It also failed to excite me. Not all rock songs are equally good, the chorus of “love is shameful” It’s very similar to the first Paramore, making the middle part of the album the weakest.
Of course, the album returns at the end with another fine ballad, “the anger”the interesting “beautiful is not beautiful” where it changes in the 90s for the 80s, with a beginning that sounds like the Cure, and a final ballad that, this time, makes good references to Lorde and, if we want, even Fiona Apple. Again, like “vampire”, It doesn’t remain a simple piano ballad but ramps up the intensity, perfectly bringing together the two disparate parts of the album.
There are many talents here, it is true that Rodrigo is far from a finished product, but I think that his best album is still in his promising future, instead of here, although I believe that a album with Such a beginning and a unique end, this could be their perfect album.
