REVIEW: 'The Secret of Us' is Gracie Abrams' Most Refined and Honest Work Yet

In the four short years since her debut EP minor, Gracie Abrams has blossomed from the soft-spoken, apprehensive girl who penned tracks like "I Miss You, I'm Sorry," "Camden," and "Block Me Out" to an artist who has refined and defined who she is personally and musically. Guided by vulnerability, trust in her small-but-tightknit group of collaborators, an acoustic-pop niche, and a fresh honesty about just how messy it is to feel yourself grow into your own, Abrams's sophomore album The Secret of Us is undoubtedly her best work yet.

Stand-out tracks: "I Love You, I'm Sorry" "Let It Happen" "Tough Love" "Close to You"

My favorites: "Blowing Smoke" "us. (feat. Taylor Swift)" "I Knew It, I Know You" "Free Now"

The lighthearted shift from Gracie's earlier works is immediately apparent in album-opener "Felt Good About You" and lead single "Risk." Easy percussion, simple acoustics, and Gracie's incredible power with a pen introduce something new in her sound while holding on to the core of what has brought her success on past projects. And let me tell you this – Gracie Abrams knows how to write a bridge. In juxtaposition to many of the soft-spoken lyrics in her discography, the bridge of "Risk" is written to be scream-sung, whether it’s in your bedroom in front of a mirror, in the car driving with the windows down or in a 70,000-capacity stadium. The turbulent craving for consolation in, “I’m gonna bend ’til I break/And you’ll be my favourite mistake/I wish you could hold me, here shakin’/You’re the risk, I’m gonna take it”, builds to Abrams crying out with frustration that it’s just too soon to confess her infatuation – “Too soon to tell you I love you!“

The Secret of Us hits its stride with the golden trilogy of "Blowing Smoke," "I Love You, I'm Sorry," and "us. (feat. Taylor Swift)". The atmospheric acoustic production and wickedly clever lyrics weaving through each of these tracks would be enough to call each one a standout. But Abrams strikes deeper on each progressive track, composing bridges that are just so good that I genuinely have goosebumps thinking about them. From the "And I find your books pretentious now/At the time, they'd fed the fantasy" of "Blowing Smoke" to the "You never read up on it, shame/Could've learned something/Robert Bly on my nightstand, gifts from you/How ironic/The curse or a miracle/Hearse or an oracle/You're incomparable/Fuck, it was chemical" (oh my god?) of "us (feat. Taylor Swift), " Abrams writing has never been more transcendental or assertive.

"Let It Happen" and "Tough Love" are experimental tracks for Abrams; they embrace a wider vocal range than she's ever ventured to and lyrical confidence that would have seemed unfathomable even on 2023’s Good Riddance, proving that her musical capabilities have far surpassed the whispery bedroom-acoustics of her early projects. "Let It Happen" romanticizes the free fall of new love, with Abrams proclaiming, "Here's to hoping you're worth all my time/I might barely know you, but still/Don't love you yet, but probably will/Turn me into something tragic/Just for you, I let it happen." Between the poppier beat and devil-may-care attitude of "Tough Love" and longtime unreleased fan favorite “Close to You," Gracie even makes strides towards crossing the line between acoustic-pop and indie-acoustics.

But Gracie also isn't one to forget her roots; "I Knew It, I Know You" and "Gave You I Gave You I" bring her back to the slow-paced sentimental tracks that romanticize heartbreak and growing beyond the relationships of your past. However, unlike tracks even on Good Riddance, there's an airiness of gratitude for her heartache and growing pains now: "It all changed for me and I told you/You had the wrong idea about me/And all I did was consider you/Until all I could do was consider me."

And Gracie emerges as the most healed she's ever been from the heartbreaks of her past on album closer "Free Now." She's walked away from a relationship that helped her become who she wants to be, but ultimately wasn't worth the sacrifices that came along with it: "Hope you find somewhere safe for your baggage/Every page that I wrote, you were on it/Feel you deep in my bones, you're the current/And I showed no restraint, it was something/I was scared of til you made me love it." After all the stories of love, loss, and growth across The Secret of Us, there's tangible gratitude in closing the project on a note of self-assurance and hope for what is to come: "If you find yourself out, if there is a right time/Chances are I'll be here, we could share a lifeline/If you feel like fallin', catch me on the way down/Never been less empty all I feel is free now."

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: FULLY OBSESSED

REVIEW: Ashton Irwin's Album 'BLOOD ON THE DRUMS (The Thorns)' is a Masterful Testament to Sacrifice and Self-Actualization

Ashton Irwin first made his solo debut in 2020, with his deeply personal, metamorphic alt-rock album Superbloom. Crafted in the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic, Irwin explored an array of sonic textures and vulnerable subject matter on the project. Ashton is best known as the drummer of Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, and since Superbloom, he’s written and released 5SOS5, the band’s fifth studio album, and toured globally with the band twice. Almost immediately after getting off the road from the band’s 2023 tour, Irwin was itching to get back in the studio with both Superbloom collaborator Matthew Pauling and longtime band collaborator John Feldmann to create the next chapter of his solo career.

In just a few months, Ashton composed dozens of ideas, ultimately landing on the sixteen that make up his stellar sophomore solo project, BLOOD ON THE DRUMS. Releasing in two parts, Irwin released the first eight tracks as The Thorns on June 12. The second half of the album, The Roses, is set to be released on July 17 via AI Music Group and BMG. The record finds Irwin confident in his sound as a solo artist, pushing his pop-rock roots into a grittier, more magnetic dynamic.

Stand-out tracks: “Breakup” “BLOOD ON THE DRUMS” “I See The Angels”

My Favorites: “Straight to Your Heart” "Lose You” “Indestructible”

Expansive, acoustic-driven opener "Straight To Your Heart" sets the tone for BLOOD ON THE DRUMS with its captivating new wave-influenced production and light, poppy hook:“You’ll be my hero here in the dark/Saving my mind from ticking/Show me the way straight into your heart.” This track is on the lighter side compared to the rest of The Thorns, but it serves as a distinct transition from the sonic landscape of Superbloom.  “Breakup” is bold and unyielding, a clever, pounding justification for infidelity: “You say you got a lover/But you say I'm not like him.”  With Irwin’s deeper vocals repeatedly echoing "Breakup/Right now/You should be with me now" over a driving rhythm, this track begs for windows-down driving and steering wheel head-banging.

The project hits its stride with triumphant title track “BLOOD ON THE DRUMS.” Sonically building upon a sound defined by Irwin’s own "SCAR" and "Greyhound," Ashton’s vocals shine brighter than ever before over a multidimensional drum pattern, exploring his greatest fears as someone who lives and breathes his art: “I’ve been holding on too long/Reaching out for what is gone/Will I stand or will I fall?/Will I make it out alive?/Will I ever learn to fly?”. Later in the track, the lyrical trepidation of “They say ‘slow down, give it up, give it up’/Don’t you dare listen, never giving it up” implies Ashton’s unyielding diligence in the face of doubt.  

While many of the tracks on BLOOD ON THE DRUMS are stories of Ashton’s evolution as an individual, "Lose You" and "Last Night of My Life" lean into the humanizing nature of any relationship. “Lose You” simultaneously holds a lot of adoration and apprehension in its lyrics, illustrating the fine line of emotional vulnerability. "Last Night of My Life" also holds unease amidst its starry production and smooth vocal lines. Irwin finds honesty and beauty in bearing his heart when faced with his own mortality: “Think I could lay me down/For that long and final rest/If I confessed to you/All the rain left in my chest.”

Whether by accident or design, thrumming powerhouse "Indestructible" concludes The Thorns with the most addictive, unrelenting track of them all. Amidst the sizzling bass lines and dominating vocals, Irwin rises out of the ashes as formidable, electrifying, and genuinely indestructible. The pains and triumphs of the last decade of his career pulse through the larger-than-life production, complete with a satisfying crash through the glass as Irwin sings, “People don't ever believe it/Doesn't mean that you don't feel it/Looking up into ceiling/Trying but you're barely dealing/You're falling in love with the feeling.”

BLOOD ON THE DRUMS is a cohesive musical accomplishment for Ashton Irwin, masterfully documenting his sacrifices made in the name of art and the evolution of his personal strength. To the casual listener, BLOOD ON THE DRUMS is a rock-solid, addictive cruiser of an album, but to longtime fans of Ashton, it’s gratifying proof of his undeniable self-actualization as a solo artist.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: FULLY OBSESSED

Show Review: Maggie Rose Shines Bright at SPACE in Chicago on 'No One Gets Out Alive' Tour

On a Saturday night at an intimate venue just north of Chicago, rising Laurel Canyon-style country-rock singer Maggie Rose vividly brought to life her 2024 album No One Gets Out Alive (which currently sits on Rolling Stone's "Best Albums of 2024" list) on her No One Gets Out Alive Tour. Proclaiming Evanston's SPACE venue as one of her favorite places to play, alongside Nashville's iconic Ryman Auditorium, Rose's incomparable vocal range and warm stage presence filled every corner of the 300-capacity room.

I was lucky enough to participate in Maggie's preshow VIP experience, which included a soundcheck of two songs ("Mad Love" and "Dead Weight"), Q&A, and a meet-and-greet with Maggie. The VIP crowd consisted of just 25 people, and Maggie spoke to every person in the room with the sincerity and easy humor used with her band and management team. I'm waiting for the day that Maggie finally hits the mainstream she deserves and I can say she signed my No One Gets Out Alive vinyl record "to Abby!" while wearing Adidas slides and conversing with my sister about gel manicures.

Many times, artists who play venues as intimate as those on the No One Gets Out Alive Tour don't invest in creating a visual aesthetic for their performances and solely rely on the auditory experience to carry the show. But with rust-colored rich vintage rugs, neutral floral arrangements, and a sweeping embroidered-flowered gown, Rose has intricately designed her stage and wardrobe with the elegance of much larger shows (what comes to my mind for comparison are the likes of Maren Morris's Humble Quest Tour and Kacey Musgraves's Deeper Well album release show at the Ryman).

The true stellar magic of the No One Gets Out Alive Tour is Maggie Rose's unparalleled vocal capability. She fills out her setlist with every track from the new album and a handful from 2021's Have a Seat, balancing between creating awe-inducing stand-out moments and finding an easy groove with her excellent band to produce an overall enjoyable listening experience. The upbeat, easy-listening portions of the set could be found in "Under the Sun," "Underestimate Me," and the rising hit "Fake Flowers," where Rose easily commanded the room while making some of her instrumental contributions to the performance with either a tambourine or her floral hummingbird-decorated guitar.

Powerful "What Are We Fighting For," honest "Saint," raw "Young," and yearning "Thinking of You" all showcased Maggie Rose's rock-ballad expertise. The shining moment in the set was Rose standing on the edge of the stage, reaching out to the audience and making individual moments of connection with so many people while belting out the soaring notes of "Lonely War." I'll be thinking about that moment long after other memories from the night have faded. And after ten years in the business and countless musical reinventions, Maggie Rose proves she knows her strengths, closing out the main set and encore with emotionally charged rock ballads "No One Gets Out Alive" and "Another Sad Song."

There's nothing about Maggie Rose that isn't ready to be the next big name in country-rock music. She doesn't define herself as anything but a musician creating and singing the songs she loves, and she does just that as well as any household name. She has one of the best voices in music. She has a lyrical honesty and integrity that connects her to audiences night after night. In sum, Maggie Rose's No One Gets Out Alive Tour is a powerfully intimate experience crafted by a star-powered professional. And Maggie Rose is undoubtedly a star who deserves success as colossal as her talent.

Listen to No One Gets Out Alive by Maggie Rose here.