Mulan Zhang | Contributing Illustrator

Lizzy McAlpine knows exactly when to make a song swell and when to let it sit — that tension gives “Angel” much of its character. The indie folk-pop artist’s fourth album, released Sept. 18, is beautiful and deeply personal, moving through romance, friendship, grief, and the strangeness of becoming yourself while everyone else keeps changing. McAlpine has described the 14-track album as a look into her diary from the past few years, explaining its wider range of ideas.

Many of the songs build gradually, layering harmonies and guitars before pulling them away. “The light in the painting,” the album’s opening track, stays in line with the sound of McAlpine’s previous album. It is a lovely song, but “Our strange ways” pushes much further. At over seven minutes, it is McAlpine’s longest song yet, and somehow I never find myself checking how much time is left. The arrangement grows fuller before suddenly dropping away, leaving McAlpine’s voice completely unproduced. I didn’t see the shift coming, making it one of the album’s most stunning moments. “Soldier of the road,” a collaboration with Fleet Foxes, captures the monotony and exhaustion of life on tour. Reflecting its weariness, I especially enjoy its darker folk harmonies and varied instrumentation. “Mason’s song” has particularly straightforward lyrics about McAlpine’s friendship with Mason Stoops, making for a simple, sweet song. 

By the time “The crowd” arrives, connection has given way to grief. The song is devastating because McAlpine lets the absence stay an absence. Nothing fills the space, and that is precisely what makes it linger as one of the album’s best songs. “Angel” is full of striking melodies, but what I love most is its ability to know when to let them bloom, and when to leave them bare.