Written by Tom Bedding
There have been amazing sounds coming from plenty of female of artists over the last 7 or so years, which has been hugely impressive, incredible and more importantly relatable. From the whispering vocals of Lana Del Ray to Lorde’s wonder to SOPHIE’s hyper-pop to Bilie Eilish’s lo-fi pop spectacle, the spread of intimate and engaging pop songwriting has been both varied and better than most other styles we have heard in recent years. With all of those making the way for new and interesting female outfits, its the bedroom like experience from it that has inspired the new generation with that immersive and close sound of it.
So, girl in red is one of those artists who have emerged from that and the Norwegian born act has created an impressive following and expectation for her debut LP release. It it has been amazing to see Marie Ulven using what she has done so far and take it such a scale for her debut record, delivering a hugely impressive release that will please fans and so many other people, who are experiencing her music for the first time.
The FINNEAS produced single ‘Serotonin’ starts the debut album off and is a state of intent by the Norwegian artist, with the volume being turned UP. Lyrically the artist deals with the feeling of numbness and your deepest thoughts, while the production and instrumentation feels like the complete opposite. It really sounds hard but playful (like a mix of Swift and Charli), giving such a new sense of life to the singer, who up and till now has shown her more subdued side.
00’s indie tendencies are a big inspiration for girl in red here, with ‘Did You Come?’ bringing that into a track where the lyrics are at all full blast at a sexual partner. Questioning how many times they have came and amazing digs to a selfish ‘lover’, it takes the hitting nature of the synths to another level, with Marie Ulven sounding fantastic over the songs melody. For me, this track really shows off the intent this record has and what it wanted to achieve, taking the thoughts of bedroom goth-pop to hyper sound and even more engaging places.
Billie Eilish is naturally the go to for wanting to be inspired from the essence of the Gen-Z pop music right now, which girl in red does and effectively uses. The synth parts and middle eight may feel too much of a resemblance though on ‘Boy And Mind’ but the vocal delivery stands out enough to make this song feels its own thing, especially when Marie delivers a slight EDM drop better than Imagine Dragons, ever did.
credit: Fiona Garden for NME
The fun spirt in the music really takes the lyrics by girl in red to a really interesting place on ‘hornylovesickmess’, as we hear lyrics of dealing with the frustration not being able to be intimate with a certain someone, when on tour. Unsurprisingly, the angle taken to deal with this situation for the singer is to make light of the fact that she has a sickness for love and sex, while possibly being on a tour surrounded by other men. The inspirations of the music itself, feels like a variety of artists, who many will say is similar to this project, ranging from Eilish again and even Lorde.
It is so easy to fall into the habit of allowing yourself to fall into what someone wants, especially when its something as intimate as sex. ‘midnight love’ tackles this unhealthy situation and the sounds created, really take us into the scope of someone staring straight up to the ceiling, after the other person leaves again in the morning after. Despite the melody not being as strong as other tracks, the overall execution of the song nails the songs concept and theme to a really impressive standard.
Guitars arrive on the recent single, ‘You Stupid Beach’, which is backed up by some really playful backing vocals (ohohohohhhh). The cry of telling a dear person they do have people (awkward cough…me) around them that love them is coated with the sarcy and’ you stupid beach’, which may confuse you with its attempt of satire. Then, directed towards to her family, ‘Rue’ feels like the Gen-Z letter to their parents about their struggles and wanting to get better. I’ll be honest, despite the lyrics having lovely a sentiment, I wish there was more to them and was able to take something from them that is either relatable or thought provoking.
The short cut of ‘Apartment 402’ really does take you into an apartment space, making you feel like you are sitting with Ulven on her bed. Reflecting on depression, the song feels so purposeful and meaningful constantly; ‘when the sunlight hits the dust and I can’t get up, when the noise os way too much’ starts the chorus of the song so well and perfectly paints the picture of what it is like to be dealing with something to deadly in your head.
When the middle eight arrives with the line ‘the place I call home, yeah I could die and nobody would know’, you can really feel the emotion of the song which makes you feel less alone and wanting to carry on like the singer is trying to do.
‘.’ has such a current name to it, that it may hurt my head a but its rather amusing that it does, haha! It has a lovely indie vibe to it with its acoustic rhythm guitar and vocal melody, though the saturation of its indie traits may get to you a bit at times. Next we are given rhe thoughts of the worst and even the inevitabl on the summery/drivey song called ‘I’ll Call You Mine’. The song is indeed catchy and fits weirdly well with the lyrics, however it is the production of the percussion and backing vocals that really makes this song stand out…also when the song gets to its climax, how blissful and wonderful does it get!!!!
To close off the debut record, girl in red delivers a piano instrumental track about how loud and heavy the noises can be in your mind and how silence is so, so needed. It does feel rushed with its conclusion but the debut record by this beloved new artist is hugely impressive, offering a place for many to find whatever they are looking for to cope, resonate and exist with.