In the last row of the Masonic Temple theater in Detroit on Aug. 6, I was listening to Lizzy McAlpine sing while dying from a mild case of heat stroke.
However, when she mentioned that she would play an unreleased song, possibly from her then-nonexistent deluxe album, I bolted up in my seat, rejuvenated and full of renewed excitement.
Indie-folk singer Lizzy McAlpine released her new album, Older, on April 5 and soon after announced the Older Tour, with limited dates available. Luckily, I was able to snatch two tickets to see her in Detroit without the knowledge that the Masonic Temple theater doesn’t have great air conditioning.
Nonetheless, the concert was still incredible, due to McAlpine’s incredible voice and her amazing support staff handing out water bottles. Even more so, I was excited to hear the suspected deluxe album.
True to her word, McAlpine released the deluxe edition of Older on October 4, called Older (and Wiser). The deluxe added four brand-new songs, one of which I luckily heard on the tour. In its entirety, I enjoyed each track to an extent, all with their unique inflections and production.
Pushing It Down and Praying
The deluxe edition opens with “Pushing it Down and Praying,” a song that first opens with a gentle acoustic beat, then crescendos into an alternative rock chorus. McAlpine sings about experiencing a contrast between two romantic partners. One gives her physical stability, but he can’t provide the emotional connection she desires. Around him, she’s mentally withdrawn and doesn’t feel comfortable enough to confide in him. She looks for someone who can give her this emotional intensity she needs, but she feels guilty for wanting anything more than she has.
As the situation progresses, so does the intensity of the vocals and beat, making for a beautifully layered production while staying true to its original acoustic roots. Eventually, as she accepts her unfortunate reality and the difficulty she’s facing, the background instruments fade solely to a guitar, as at the beginning of the song. This ultimately showcases the cycle that she’s stuck in. Although this formula is typically used in McAlpine’s more catchy songs, it’s a formula that always wins me over, especially when coupled with her lilting vocals and simplistic instrumentation.
Soccer Practice
A common theme I’ve noticed in many of McAlpine’s songs is the longing for a minimalistic, lovely life, living peacefully with a lifelong partner. As expressed in the first verse of “Soccer Practice,” McAlpine dreams of a future where her relationship could work out and she and her partner would have children and grow old together. She sings, “You pick up the kids from soccer practice / I wait in line at the grocery store / You sing them to sleep, what else do we need?” The lilting acoustic and piano notes wistfully accompany the lyrics, making for a somewhat sad tone.
As the relationship continues, she assumes that it is bound to end, since it’s just too good to be true. At the end of the song, McAlpine takes a unique approach to the outro by repeating the chorus but reversing it, so she’s singing the lyrics backward. The result is a strangely transcendental sound reminiscent of memories and old friends, perhaps symbolizing the nostalgia she feels toward this relationship and what could’ve been. In “Drunk, Running,” a track from the original album, she also uses this method of conclusion.
Force of Nature
Similar to the previous track, “Force of Nature” adopts a similar, minimalistic instrumentation throughout the song. McAlpine’s vocals are as soft and lovely as ever, especially with the reverb at the end of each line. Before the bridge begins, an instrumental break occurs, full of nostalgic tones. It reminds me of wanting to turn back time, a sentiment McAlpine echoes in the first verse when she sings, “Who are you if all you want is time?”
During the bridge, a soft crescendo increases the impact of the music, while a Lucy Gray-esque myriad of strings repeats in the background. She grapples with the uncertainty of who she is now that she’s broken up with this person when singing, “All the things that we were / All the things we never got a chance to be / None of it matters.”
She achingly repeats, “None of it matters,” six times, until the last line of the bridge, where she whispers, “None of it matters to me.” This reminded me of the bridge in “Waiting Room” by Phoebe Bridgers, where she, similarly, injects heartfelt emotion in each repeated phrase.
Spring into Summer
I first heard “Spring into Summer” at the Older Tour. Upon hearing this song, my ears became blessed with the ethereal, hopeful tones of the music as well as, of course, McAlpine’s voice. True to its name, this song feels like a calm spring day at the beginning, then excitedly transitions into a dulcet, youthful tone. In contrast to the other songs on the deluxe, McAlpine portrays a happier relationship, where each person is constantly chasing after the other. They can’t get enough of each other and the high of young romance.
Although I am a devoted listener of McAlpine’s music, I must say that I feel the deluxe edition of Older follows her traditional formula of mellow, light vocals and production, mostly without deviating from the norm. I enjoy this type of music, but after listening to some of her discography, I get bored with the repetitive style. In future releases, I’d love to see McAlpine expand her musical horizons with more thought-out production and perhaps some collaborations, as seen on her previous album, five seconds flat.
