Two years on from Sour, Olivia matures, returning with welcome yet familiar tuneful dances of vulnerable self expression. Guts possibly signals the expression of having enough to bleed these pained relationships she divulges in detail. Among its twelve tracks, we experience the flip side, highs and lows, loves and heartbreaks, all in broken sequence, letting each song take form with its own identity.
Like last time around, mature, expressive and palatable singer songwriter bites get wedged between chirpy, catching hooks and pop sensibilities. Often teenage in nature, Olivia has no difficulty finding relatable words with an essence of youth and soft touch of rebellion. Not my preferred picks yet her vibrancy so clearly on the pulse of those young years, one can take a step back into those spaces faded by age.
A notable 90s Post-Grunge, Alternative Rock aesthetic rears its head on occasion. My favorite track, Pretty Isn't Pretty, bolsters a gorgeous shoe-gazing guitar lick. Underneath a luminous baselines marches with a delicate assemble of subtle instruments coloring its calmer moments. The tone is wonderfully balanced, fresh yet nostalgic, she yields her voice to whats asked of the instrumental. Stunning song!
These revived sounds kick off the album back to back. All-American Bitch and Bad Idea Right? get there Pop Punk kicks on with fun and cheeky expressions. The later reminding me of Devo's Whip It in an obscure way, must be that tight overdriven guitar riff! Every time an energetic song arrives, it always comes with a complimentary sense of specific inspiration from the 90s and 00s alternative music scenes.
The soft and vulnerable cuts found between are my favorites. When the guitars fade and airy synths rise, alongside moody pianos and tempered strings, Olivia opens up with endearing stories of personal woes felt in her voice. It strips out the attitude and quirk of catchy hook writing, saying similar things but from direction experiences. This is where the guts of the record lay, their pacing between other sounds is apt.
Lastly, the record ends with Teenage Dream, reflecting on artistic and cosmetic atrophy. A tender track exposing her relationship with the massive pressures of fame and public opinion. Its quite saddening considering how heavy such thoughts can weigh. Feels like an potential premonition, a self fulfilling prophesy. Hopefully getting it off her chest wont make that so! This album was remarkably gratifying, just as good if not better than Sour. I'm left knowing I will keep coming back to this one.
Rating: 8/10