I listened to the new Billie Eilish record even though nothing prior has ever really done anything for me. I've been told by people of all ages that she has something and I finally realized that during her recent Oscar winning performance. It still didn't make me want to listen to her music. The trendy, breathy vocals and the mysterious and eerie backing tracks mostly put me in a coma I didn't ask to be in. But I listened to the new album, "Hit Me Hard & Soft" from head to tail because like the Chattooga River, it was there.
There are two songs that I truly loved and one that absolutely slayed me. Billie Eilish does indeed have something and I look forward to listening to more of her music as she matures. But for now, "Hit Me Hard & Soft" feels like more of the same, with a half dozen or so confessions set to mostly unimaginative music. I guess that's the thing these days.
Now back to those songs that I enjoyed.
The record opens with a one/two...well..not punch. Let's say a one/two love tap. Both "Skinny" and "Lunch" caught me off guard, as I honestly didn't expect much. "Skinny' begins with a guitar pattern that reminded me a bit of an old Todd Rundgren fave 'Tiny Demons," and continued that way for what became a truly lovely three and half minutes. "Lunch" is a solid, hook-filled groove that could have been a WLIR "Scream Of The Week" in 1983.
But the one song that knocked me out is "L'Amour De Ma Vie." This is as good as any pop song of the last 50 years. A gorgeous melody with a stunning delivery of heartbreaking lyrics, this song feels like what Billie and Finneas might be releasing ten years from now. It's a wonderful piece of adult pop that...wait for it...is totally sabotaged by an unnecessary coda. (Boy, do I miss 45s!)
The rest of "Hit Me Hard & Soft" is what I expected from Billie Eilish. A little autotune here. A bit of drama there. And songs that mostly survive on style and not substance.
7 comments:
Billie makes nice records. the 1st one made a mark and she and her brother have made weaker variations since. "L'Amour De Ma Vie" is a good song, but only that. she needs a new producer to reach her potential. not feeling this new one.
I think she's really underrated as a singer because of her soft whispering style on so much of her material. But as the Barbie song and the one you posted show, she really has a nice voice. I really like the first album and was less than enthused by the second although there were a couple of great cuts on it. I'm looking forward to listening to this new one
I feel like she doesn't even know why she's such a sensation - but I do appreciate her talent. Can't say I miss the green and black hair, though.
"L'Amour De Ma Vie" is lovely, but you're right about the unnecessary coda!
This made me laugh for about ten minutes: "The trendy, breathy vocals and the mysterious and eerie backing tracks mostly put me in a coma I didn't ask to be in." Thank you Sal - if we can't enjoy the music, we can certainly laugh our assess off while reading!
I am going to listen to all of her stuff again. I tried once before, but I guess my attention span is waning in my old age.
"According to a Microsoft study, the average human attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8.25 seconds in 2015, which is shorter than a goldfish's attention span. This means that people can't focus on something for as long as they used to, and some say that the brain can't fit 20, 30 goldfish."
"L'Amour De Ma Vie."
Totally don't get it. And oddly enough, the coda is what woke me up.
Oh well, there's no accounting for taste, including my own.
I thought Bad Guy was great, and watching her star rise was exciting, but I expected more to like in the long run. I can't think of anything after that I found that appealing. It's all well done, just not my bag. Bad Guy had some rock n roll in it, a little attitude, a little Mae West. I liked that. Lunch has that too, and that's cool.
I am a very impatient person, and her breathy whisper singing makes me kind of nervous. And almost all of the stuff I've heard by her is like that. The Barbie song... jeez. It's a well-crafted tune, but it just doesn't strike me as something people would say "OMG, I HAVE TO hear that again!!!". Shows you what I know. Skinny sounds just like the Barbie song to me. It made me jumpy & I didn't make it all the way through.
L'Amour De Ma Vie is like, between the 2 poles. Great tune, good delivery though still maybe a little too sleepy (for me, anyway), and then... that thing at the end? What the hell? A different, not as good song tacked on, after the first song. Is that even a coda? What IS that?
Anyone thinking of buying the vinyl copy of HOT ME HARD AND SOFT should watch this. Skip to 7:50 for the fun part.
https://youtu.be/qiNoOPvjEyM?si=0PJJF1RATuejVeAv
"...a half dozen or so confessions set to mostly unimaginative music."
That may or may not be an apt description of the new Billie Eilish. But I have no doubt that it's a succinct critique of a) most Taylor Swift records and b) pretty much all the rest of commercial pop at this sad moment in history.
Well done, my friend.
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