A Lot on My Crate

Like Paul Revere, I come to you by horseback to announce a bop of an album! Actually by Toyota Corolla as I blast the speakers with this indie dance pop that can induce such a high. Written into Changes is a feel good indie pop album that makes one feel light in the air to the point of flight. The first time I’ve heard of Avalon Emerson, was when I was on Tidal and stumbled onto her single, “Eden”. It was a non-apologetic throwback of Y2K pop and it reminded me of some Suzanne Vega and Frou Frou. Hell, it even sounds like a track Caroline Polachek would spearhead on. This pop single was so infectious with its guitar and bass licks and the chorus is so uplifting. I also absolutely love love the synthesizer giving us the exit. It has been on repeat for the longest time and I have no doubt that if this song was on the radio in the 2000s, it would be a platinum hit. Hands down. So, after “Eden” occupied my mind after one listen, I have been waiting with bated breath. Thank goodness, it did not disappoint. Because when Written into Changes came on release, it has made me enthusiastic to ramble about this for quite a while. This album is sunny fanfare and there are many more songs that are just as sticky as “Eden” with their melodies and hopping on different styles, because the hits just keep on coming. This isn’t Emerson’s first rodeo, as her debut album was funnily named & the Charm. Before that, she was a techno DJ, which she has honed her craft to enhance into making her pop more danceable. It’s like this genre is second nature to her. In an interview with The Line of Best Fit, her she coined the Charm name to keep her identity with her techno self, so that makes so much sense. What a conversation piece and a suave pickup line to say you’re named “the charm”. But she states that she will continue being a DJ. (Check out “The Frontier” on her Whities 006 EP. Soooo good). She worked with producer Nathan Jenkins aka Bullion on her debut and they join forces again on this one. Anyhow, as Emerson and Jenkins clasp hands to make this tour de force, they have reached a plan and sound to make this work. And they did. The techno DJ made a great pop album. That’s something you can wear proudly on your sleeve. If you need feel good vibes, then this thing works like a charm…damn. With every fiber of my being, brother. I really tried not to do that. But I can’t change what is already written. Wait a minute…sonuva-

So, I already talked my head off of “Eden” as it’s so bold to slap this baby as your first opener. But I was going to suggest if you weren’t going to listen to this album anyways, then at least listen to this one. It’s a bop and a half that is a taste and a tease of how pristine this pop album can be. And if you think that’s good, we take a trip to “Jupiter and Mars”, co-produced by Rostam Batmanglij formerly of Vampire Weekend fame. “Jupiter and Mars” is a shimmering cantrip from one who is reminiscing the fleeting old times with someone. For something that gives a somber atmosphere, it gives us this upbeat instrumental that helps enshrouds you like a positive aura, like what good pop music can do. I absolutely love the background guitar licks on the second chorus. “Happy Birthday” is another way of coping via bedroom pop with a cute drum machine beat with a catchy “Too young to die” hook. We get our title track, “Written into Changes” and Emerson goes into an acid trip with her voice in this ripple effect and tells of her story of leaving her era in Berlin according to the above interview. The person/reason she’s knocking on their door, is it for another person or herself? I love “Wooden Star” as you can hear Emerson’s DJ altar ego peaking out. The air and atmosphere of this dance track seems really cold, while the lyrics describe the empty half of the glass. It’s a catchy, ghostly tune with our hero struggling to keep their head above water.

We get hit with “God Damn (Finito)”, as it goes into this 80s synthesizer coded jam. Then after that, Emerson puts the dream in dream pop as provides us with a bouncy tune called “How Dare This Beer”, the vocals are reverb and washed out to hell, but it works in the song’s favor as the playfulness goes up to eleven. The lyrics are so whimsical and fun as there are bars like, “Bubbles dare tickle my tongue”, “A hoedown of luminescent fireflies”, and the wanting to be smothered with soft pillows. “800 threads and counting.” It’s as if she’s on cloud 9 at that moment. There’s a throwback to early 80s synthpop on “Country Mouse”, as our brave protagonist is in the big leagues with big dreams. From Emerson’s experiences with big change, it’s not farfetched to say it’s relatable when she goes on how scary it can get. But what’s imperative for her listeners, is what she does here, is she makes it inspiring and gets you hyped. It has to be, if you want to make your tiny mouse mark on this Earth. We get another amazing soft rock cut on “I Don’t Want to Fight”, it reminds me of what HAIM did on their Women in Music Pt. III album, which is my favorite album from them by the way. It has those playful guitars and a hip hop inspired kick beat on the verses and then it gets scuzzy and dirty on the chorus. After her big transition to an unknown environment, she’s tired and wants the exhaustion to stop. Valid. The struggle is real. But all good things come to an end with this summery, ornate slow dancer that is “Earth Alive” with Rostam standing next to Emerson at the helm again. You want to feel good about the ending, because we all wonder what the future may bring and if you’ll see those people you’ve known ever again. But she leaves it ambiguous, because in reality, it sadly might not happen.

The only few complaints I have for this LP, are only the two tracks being “Written into Changes” and “God Damn (Finito)”, I liked the lyrical content of the titular track, but the production is too washed out for me before the pretty choruses and the latter sounded like an interlude that drags out too long.

This album is liberating and is someone’s way of telling you to keep on keeping on. She understands what you’re going through. She gets it. She has been there. Change is scary. But different and being uncomfortable is what got her this far and so far, this will probably be her most successful project as of now. It’s so impressive to not know what your favorite song is on this album as I already loved its single, it just proves that was not a fluke. I’ll always applaud an artist that takes that leap of faith to do something different and refreshing. This record is catchy and sticky. What they made is something that is the feeling of freedom as Emerson takes off out of her comfort zone. She dominates her fears and transformed them into fun art. It’s an ambitious statement. That she is absolutely fearless.

FAVORITE TRACKS: EDEN, JUPITER AND MARS, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WOODEN STAR, HOW DARE THIS BEER, COUNTRY MOUSE, I DON’T WANT TO FIGHT, EARTH ALIVE

LEAST FAVORITE: GOD DAMN (FINITO)

https://avalonemerson.bandcamp.com/album/written-into-changes