A Lot on My Crate

She’s back! After this Flipina-American got her drivers license, she’s been gaining speed and renown with her past two albums. When she became such a massive hit with Sour being the forefront of pop music back in the days, I wasn’t really into it besides a few songs. However, when Guts came out, it was like a switch that turned on my brain. This superstar kicks into high gear and just revs up the energy by embracing this pop rock sound that makes you want to bust through the doors at high school. I’m too old for that, but it did its magic and transported me back to my youth. Olivia and her producer Daniel Nigro had found something by implementing these guitars and the spunk of Olivia’s vocals to shout out to her audience that she hears them and what they’re going through. She even has ballads in there that are very poignant and moving such as “Vampire” and “Lacy” (my favorite from Guts). Because being a teenager just fucking sucks sometimes. Guts was one of my favorite albums of that year, and the emotion, the self-reflection, and the heartbreak was enough to reel me in despite not being in her target demographic at all. The album was superb enough that I even got Guts on vinyl. Now with Nigro behind production again, here she comes through the saloon doors with all this momentum being backed behind her, but this time she doesn’t bust through with her rock sound. The entrance despite not being intense, but is more grand and glam as “drop dead” spearheads as her first single to her upcoming third album is a walk on the clouds.

The very beginning of the song reminds me of New Order as these bouncy synth beats induces me in a dreamy like state. The whole song is more pop oriented with a New Wave flair with a soft sugar coat from Olivia doing vocals that made me think of Taylor. You can tell she is lovesick as she sways back and forth and starts the song with “I know the bar closes at 11. But I hope you never finish that beer.” A song that is sweet, not schlocky. A song that is wholesome, not kitsch. It’s a song that just makes you flutter on the insides as we are now relieved Olivia is back to feeling great again. I’m looking forward to this upcoming album by Rodrigo and Nigro. Hopefully it’ll be just as good or even better.