Good Riddance, Gracie Abrams

American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams finds her voice on her debut album “Good Riddance.” A blue yet thoughtful collection of heart-wrenching songs that explore the stages of a slowly fading relationship through powerful lyricism, intimate vocals, and her brutal willingness to admit her faults. As she begins the album with ballads of a broken relationship, she proceeds to dive deeper into a reflection on the relationship she has with herself and her emotions.

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The album opens beautifully with “Best,” a rhythmic ballad that does not hold back at expressing Abrams’ deepest regrets and shortcomings through strong lyrics: “You were there all the time/You're the worst of my crimes/You fell hard, I thought, Good riddance.” In the first verse, Abrams puts herself on the line, a quality that gives her voice and the remainder of the album a vulnerable edge that captivates the listener until the last second. Abrams continues with “I know it won’t work,” her most powerful song on the album, as she mixes heart-breaking lyrics with captivating instrumentals that feel equally nostalgic and fresh: “And part of me wants to walk away 'til you really listen/I hate to look at your face and know that we're feeling different/‘Cause part of me wants you back, but/I know it won't work like that, huh?” While the lyrics tell the story of Abrams realizing that her relationship is long past the point of repair, the instrumentals throughout the chorus are vibrant, serving as a cathartic release for Abrams and the listener.

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“Where do we go now?” cuts deep, with a breathtaking bridge illustrating Abrams’ knack for expressing some of humanity’s most universal feelings and experiences: “‘Cause now I'm half of myself here without you/You’re the best in my life and I lost you/And we had no control when it fell through/It was one-sided, hate how I hurt you/If I could, I'd have changed every feelin’/Reservations were up to the ceilin’/Guess the space was the thing that I needed/But I miss you.”

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“I Should Hate You” and “Will You Cry?” express some of the same feelings from the first half of the album, but she manages to deliver them with more vulnerability as she sounds like she may be on the brink of tears, and as the album shifts towards acceptance: “It's kinda funny when it goes from all to nothing/You have to laugh before you start to cry/‘Cause now I stop myself from holding onto something/That makes me feel a little less alive.” “Amelie” continues this shift in tone and theme as Abrams sings with a delicate intimacy of a mysterious girl named Amelie, who may serve as a metaphor for herself and who she wants to be. “Amelie” not only showcases Abrams’ comforting vocals but again highlights her strong lyrical work as she can present her fears and reflect on ways she has changed more experimentally.

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As the last few songs on the album build, so do Abrams’ mounting anxieties about her future and her relationship with her friends, family, and herself. In “Difficult,” Abrams sorrowfully reflects on how she feels her life slipping away and does not hold back from addressing her shortcomings: “And I've been thinkin' if I move out this year/I’ll feel my parents slipping/Away and also I'm just scared of that commitment/I really think sometimes there's something that I'm missing.” The album concludes with “Right Now,” a culmination of everything that makes this album exceptional. As Abrams sings about her struggles of missing home and the fear of change, she showcases her ability to reflect inward with honest lyrics and intimate vocals: “Am I losin' my family/Every minute I'm gone?/What if my little brother/Thinks my leaving was wrong?” The closing ballad is far from where the album began yet manages to tug at your heartstrings and stay with you long after the album concludes.