Subtle shifts in direction on Rodrigo’s third album.
Somehow Olivia Rodrigo is only twenty-three. It seems impossible when you consider how ubiquitous she has seemed for a number of years now. Everyone knows the backstory at this point. Disney TV star makes a successful music transition is a bit of a cliché by now (Sabrina Carpenter, Miley Cyrus and Justin Timberlake to name but three), but nobody seemed to make such an initial move into a proper rock sound as Rodrigo pulled off with Sour. It was the perfect mix of teenage angst, high energy and great guitar riffs. ‘drivers license’ was the track that blew her stratospheric from the get go with its emotional vulnerability but it was ‘brutal’ and ‘good 4 u’ that made all the rock kids sit up and take notice.
Second album Guts pushed it further, content wise the same swirling mess of relationship issues, but there was intensive theatricality in the songcraft of ‘Vampire’ mixed with the quality pop-rock of ‘bad idea right?’ and ‘get him back.’
you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love shifts everything in subtle ways. On the surface this might be her most pop facing record yet, next single ‘stupid song’ could just as easily be Gracie Abrams or Lorde. However much she wants to go that way, she just can’t leave the interesting guitar music alone though. ‘drop dead’ is that trademark Rodrigo rush of youthful exuberance and incredibly memorable lyrics but second single ‘the cure’ might be the most sophisticated thing she has yet released. As well as great songwriting, it also nods to her love of the band and the unlikely friendship she has struck up with sixty-seven year old Robert Smith. He features here on the duet ‘what’s wrong with me.’ The pair complement each other surprisingly well and Rodrigo probably just made The Cure another six million younger followers. Those 80s vibes surface further on the synth heavy ‘expectations,’ robotic Kraftwerk-esque male backing singers completing the feel. ‘maggots for brains’ starts all drum machines and 80s style guitar before turning into more of a contemporary single in the chorus.
‘begged’ is musically simplistic but showcases her incredible vocal skills, ‘less’ does similar over a lovely piano tune. ‘honeybee is also mostly piano and whispered vocals until some orchestration opens it out towards the end. That love of a guitar comes back to the fore on closing track ‘cigarette smoke.’
This is another high quality offering. The finished product is smoother than its predecessors and leans into the 1980s a little bit more than could have been expected. The core product remains relationship lyrics that switch between confessional and the soaring rush of feeling in love. The indie-rock edges remain. As she matures you feel she has an absolute masterpiece contained within her that will likely arrive sooner rather than later, what format it takes will likely be surprising as her confidence continues to grow. The lack of a Reading Festival appearance remains the biggest crime of the last three years.
Essential tracks: ‘drop dead,’ ‘maggots for brains,’ ‘my way,’ ‘the cure’, ‘what’s wrong with me’
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