Gracie Abrams and Lizzy McAlpine are both indie pop artists who have been on the rise in popularity over the past few years. On October 4th, McAlpine released a deluxe version of her latest album, Older. The deluxe version is titled Older (and Wiser). On October 18th, Abrams also released a deluxe version of her latest album, The Secret of Us. We listened to both, and we are here to tell you that both artists found ways to make already outstanding albums even better.
Abbie:
Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us (Deluxe) features four new songs, plus three live versions of tracks on the original album. This new version has been a major success, with its October 18th release prompting Abrams’ biggest streaming day of all time on Spotify.
The first new song, “Packing It Up”, features a light guitar finger-picking pattern, paired with soft vocals. The lyrics detail finding true love at a sudden and unexpected time when Abrams wasn’t necessarily looking for it: “but then you happened”. Fans are speculating that these lyrics refer to her rumored partner, Irish actor Paul Mescal. Either way, I adore this song and could see it being an adorable first dance at a wedding.
“I Told You Things”, the next track, showcases the regret Abrams experienced after a breakup. I see it as the saddest of the four new tracks, as she is directly referring to her personal feelings. She doesn’t express a dislike for her ex, but more guilt for how open she had been with him: “You’re the golden boy and my worst regret”. In this song, she does an excellent job explaining the complexity of breakups and the mixed reactions they can invoke.
My personal favorite, “Cool”, is rumored to be about Abrams’ ex-boyfriend: actor Dylan O’Brien. Her attitude in this song is a bit angrier, detailing how she is processing their split inwardly, but will present “so cool” to show him how much better off she is. She even name-drops several of his friends, one being Sadie Sink, his co-star from Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well – 10 Minute Version” short film. Most of the lyrics are consistent with this energy, but the chorus dips into a more vulnerable area. The instrumental and vocals both carry more intense energy, each beat driving the song forward and depicting harsher emotions.
The last new track has been long-awaited since Abrams debuted it at a live show. “That’s So True” was co-written by Abrams and her best friend, Audrey Hobert, and quickly became a fan-favorite due to the stunning harmonies, and slightly spiteful lyrics: “You’re an idiot, now I’m sure”. The jealous and betrayed feeling Abrams expresses in the song is very relatable to many fans, and the catchy chorus has been stuck in my head since it was released! As is consistent with many songs that are first played live, some fans are criticizing the production and balance for its contrast to the simple guitar chords when the song is played live. Personally, I think it translates really well to a produced version. The added instrumentals and shifts in volume add to the trajectory of the song, giving it a more intense vibe, which I find very appropriate to the tone of the lyrics.
The live versions are of three different songs on the album: “I Love You, I’m Sorry”, “I Knew It, I Know You”, and “Free Now”. I have been listening to these nonstop, so I was excited to see them getting a bit more love.
Fans had been begging Abrams to release the live version of “I Love You, I’m Sorry” since she sang it with an opt-up on the lyrics “prove that it haunts me”. This note change is actually already in the original song, just as a backing harmony: but it really helps to encapsulate the desperation behind the song, so I thought it was a great decision to bring it to the top.
I was so thrilled when I found out that one of the live tracks was going to be “I Knew It, I Know You”, since this is definitely in my top three songs on the album. (Right up there with “Let It Happen” and “Risk”). The acoustic guitar in the live version really helps with connecting to the sadness of the lyrics, but I also have a special place in my heart for the production of the original.
Hearing that “Free Now” was one of the live songs initially made me nervous, since the production is my favorite part about it. I once heard listening to that song described as feeling like you’re on a plane that’s taking off, and that could not be more true. However, Abrams did not let me down with this one. I actually thought the build behind the song shone through even more with it being acoustic.
Overall, I thought The Secret of Us (Deluxe) was a masterpiece. The original album was already one of my favorites of all time, so I didn’t want it to change—but the addition of these seven tracks only heightened my listening experience. Gracie Abrams is an expert songwriter and incredibly talented singer, so head on over to your favorite streaming platform right now to give her a listen!
Morgan:
I have only recently gotten into Lizzy McAlpine’s music, but her recent album Older really jump-started my love for her. My favorite songs from that album are “Drunk, Running” and “Broken Glass”. I think her use of metaphors in both songs is exceptionally well executed, and both explain the feeling of not having a convoluted relationship with her partner and trying to explain her conflicting feelings towards them. Both songs emphasize this push-and-pull relationship that both parties are aware is unhealthy, but can’t let go of. McAlpine found beautiful ways to express this without saying it directly. In addition to her well-written lyrics, she has a remarkably beautiful voice, and instruments to compliment it.
The deluxe version of Older is titled Older (and Wiser), which I think is pretty clever. The deluxe version has five new songs in addition to all the original songs on the album. I genuinely think that all five of these songs are a 10/10.
The first added song is titled “Method Acting (Demo)”. This song is a big metaphor about the guilt she has about how she has hurt her partner, and how she wishes they wouldn’t be as forgiving of her actions. This is a demo, so it is an acoustic song. Her voice is always beautiful in her songs, but I truly think her raw vocals with the acoustic guitar make her sound even better than usual. I think the most powerful lyrics of this song are “I don’t know why, but you’ll forgive me, And I’ll take that to my grave.” and it perfectly portrays her shame in how complacent her partner is about her poor treatment of them.
My personal favorite song from the deluxe version is “Pushing It Down and Praying”. This song is about how she is with someone new, but still secretly longs for her past partner, and how her efforts to move on are fruitless. To start, I really love it when artists give songs long titles, and this song is no exception. The title is almost used as foreshadowing since the start of the song describes her with her current partner, and the title references the feelings of guilt and shame she experiences while with this partner, which she admits later. For this song, I’d say my favorite lyric is at the very end of the song when she says “It’s only a question if somebody brings it up, so I’m pushing it down and praying”. I think it’s so clever to end the song to end with a confession that she will continue to push down her feelings and since no one has asked her directly about it, she’s not had to admit it to anyone.
Lastly, the song “Force of Nature” struck me as one of the most powerful songs on the album. This song is about her coming to terms with the fact that she and her partner need to be apart for good, and the song almost narrates the inner dialogue of her convincing herself that it is for the better. She starts the song with the line “Who am I if not your lover?” and ends it with “Who are you now that you’re alone?” to juxtapose her fear of leaving her partner with the realization of their codependency after she’s left. I think it’s really beautiful how this song comes full circle after she repeats the phrase “none of it matters” over and over. I think it shows her letting go of the fear and anxiety towards the end of her relationship she expresses at the beginning of the song.
Overall, I believe the songs on the deluxe version of the album really deepen and elaborate on her feelings towards the relationship that inspired many of the songs on the original album. I also think that these songs were clearly not just released for the sake of adding songs, but had been just as carefully crafted as her previous songs.
Many people tend to be apprehensive about deluxe albums, as they don’t understand why an album is being rereleased with just a few extra songs. However, we think Older (and Wiser) and The Secret of Us (Deluxe) are amazing examples of how adding bonus tracks after the original release can contribute to the development of complex themes and a better understanding of their meanings. Also, it’s just fun to have another album release to look forward to! We’re definitely excited about any future works by Gracie Abrams and Lizzy McAlpine, and we hope we’ve influenced you to check out their music as well!
