NYC-based singer-songwriter Grace McLean released her latest full-length album, “My Lovely Enemy,” a couple of weeks ago. Supported by exceptional singles like “Everybody Loves,” “Reckless,” and a title track, this material is her first piece of work since “In The Green (Original Cast Recording),” released in 2020. The album consists of nine outstanding compositions that will immediately grab your attention and refuse to let go until closure. Soundwise, Grace McLean combines a singer-songwriter approach with some of the finest properties taken from many different but complementary music genres. Perhaps alt-folk comes to mind first, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon sonic ingredients borrowed from indie folk, indie pop, art pop, avant-pop, soul, etc. She uses all these additional elements as more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details to uplift her songs on an entirely new level while simultaneously remaining loyal to the primary sonic direction. Therefore, these experimentations with many styles resulted in a marvelous collection that will satisfy even the pickiest fans of alt-pop music.
“My Lovely Enemy” commences with the title track that vividly showcases what you might expect from the remainder of the album. This upbeat song carries so many details that you’ll need to spin it a couple of times until you grasp everything Grace McLean incorporated into it. Her songwriting and composing abilities truly shine here, as every instrumentation articulates separately, but harmoniously at the same time. Anyone even remotely into writing and composing music knows that’s not an easy task to achieve, but McLean demonstrates her abilities brilliantly. You’ll notice how subtle vocal layers, string instruments, warm-sounding basslines, percussions, and intricate rhythmic structures support her mesmerizing vocal performance. It’s a marvelous listening experience on its own, and that’s just the beginning of this epic sonic journey. “Reckless” is coming up next. It’s a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal ballad decorated with catchy, addictive, hypnotic arpeggiated chord progressions, subtle guitar accentuations, more string and wind instrumentations, intricate low-ends, and marvelous rhythmic sequences. This composition might seem more minimalistic to some listeners, but its structure reveals many complex orchestrations that pervade from all possible sides. Grace McLean’s impressive vocal range skillfully balances between low, mid, and high notes, emphasizing all the segments and instrumentations. The emotion and confidence in her performance commands attention and keep the listeners engaged on this marvelous musical voyage.
“Albertine” is another excellent indie pop number where McLean’s voice shines in the limelight. It’s one of those songs where vocal harmonies dominate in every section while keeping subtle enough so you can hear all the delicate instrumentations. “Albertine” gradually evolves from a nearly cathartic ambiance to a much heavier composition where powerful beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics propel this song to new heights. You’ll also hear how magnificent chord progressions serve as a perfect backdrop, supporting McLean’s vocal performance to the max. “Day Satisfaction” is a homage to the Rolling Stones’ classic. She took this track to a new level with fresh and unique arrangements that will remind you of some jazzy, soulful, neo-funk experiment. It’s a perfect cover song that keeps the essence of the Rolling Stones’ music but also demonstrates Grace McLean’s creativity at the same time. “Gazelle” arrives with a beautiful vocal intro, supported by many cleverly arranged and perfectly sung acapella layers. The artist gradually introduces rhythmic sequences, subtle keys, ambiances, and expertly implemented layers of semi-distorted low-ends but keeps this otherwordly song calm as much as possible. If you ever wanted to know how contemporary indie and avant-pop should sound, “Gazelle” exemplifies everything you need to know about it.
“Living Night” continuously levitates between avant-pop and modern pop. It’s a beautiful collision of Grace McLean’s magnificent vocal performance, catchy sonic maneuvers, and more complex drumming patterns. Another thing you’ll notice while listening to this material, and it’s probably mostly hearable in this track, is how McLean thinks outside of the box when it comes to writing, composing, arranging, recording, and producing her songs. Each number exemplifies how pop music should resonate, but if you put them separately, each track sounds like a completely different experience. Her ability to fully stack songs with so many impressive vocal and sonic maneuvers goes beyond comprehension so many times, and “Living Night” exemplifies her brilliance. “Haven’t You Notice” resonates with all those qualities of the best classic and contemporary pop songs. It’s a calm, subtle, cathartic collection of wisely assembled orchestration, flawlessly performed and arranged to satisfy even the pickiest listeners. It’s the first track on this album without rhythmic support, but you’ll notice how keys, string instruments, and pleasant ambiance are more than enough to satisfy your listening apparatus.
“Ocean Vapor” arrives with dynamic beats, intricate percussions, complex basslines, memorable melodies, harmonies, and other sonic maneuvers. Grace McLean thoroughly planned the entire structure, so you’ll hear how every segment includes many brilliant ideas and catchy instrumentations. Still, her voice shines in the spotlight once again, delivering additional layers of melody and complexity to the already delicate ambiance. This exceptional material closes with “Everybody Loves,” a perfect modern pop track fully stacked with many expertly assembled soul, funk, rhythm ‘n blues instrumentations. You’ll especially notice all these qualities in the rhythm section, as vividly hearable, warm-sounding basslines and well-accentuated beats dictate groove and tempo while the percussions decorate and uplift these orchestrations on a new level. In the meantime, arpeggiated keyboard melodies and funky chord progressions support McLean’s soulful performance. It’s a perfect closing number where the artist demonstrates all the weaponry from her impressive arsenal.
“My Lovely Enemy” is a pop masterpiece where all the subgenres of this longevous music genre shine in the limelight. With additional elements borrowed from soul, funk, rhythm ‘n blues and other similar genres, this material exemplifies how pop music should sound nowadays. Grace McLean is a musical genius who breaks all the rules and shapeshifts the boundaries of the genre, and her ideas and efforts resulted in an excellent album that will immediately become your go-to whenever you need flawlessly written and composed indie pop music. “My Lovely Enemy” is available on all streaming platforms. Don’t miss it!
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