Emily Steinwall's sophomore album, 'but, there's beauty in the fall from Grace', is a curious and somewhat disappointing follow-up to her promising debut. While the album showcases Steinwall's impressive vocal range and songwriting skills, it fails to capture the intensity and originality of her previous work. The album's title hints at a journey of self-discovery and emotional growth, but the execution falls short of its ambitious premise.
The opening track, 'Soft Animal', sets a promising tone with its Radiohead-inspired guitar arpeggios and soaring vocals. However, the rest of the album takes a different direction, veering towards a more mellow and introspective sound. The album's second track, 'Human Anymore', showcases Steinwall's ability to deliver a sneering, girl-power grunge vocal, but this is a rarity on the album.
The majority of the album's songs are ballads with languid tempos and gentle arrangements, which, while beautiful, lack the edge and intensity of Steinwall's earlier work. The album's pacing suffers from this monotony, with a few spots of genuine fervor and lucidity sprinkled in. The worst offender is 'Something', a nearly seven-minute track that feels like a lullaby, preceded by another lullaby, 'Rock Me, Baby'. Steinwall's use of the saxophone is also underutilized, with only one track featuring her talents.
Despite these criticisms, Steinwall's vocals are, as ever, absolutely superb, showing off her range from breathy, warm lows to a commanding, banshee-like wail. The production is on point, with guitars surrounded by pillowy layers of reverb and crisp, organic-sounding percussion. There are moments of vigor that break through the sleepy haze, reminding us of Steinwall's potential when she gives it her all.
The album's title, 'but, there's beauty in the fall from Grace', is a bit too apropos, suggesting a fall from the heights of her debut. The record flirts with a heavier, angrier direction but spurns it in favor of an excess dose of floaty, fluffy balladry. Steinwall's pursuit of beauty and healing seems to have led to a fall, creating a record that, past its initial moment of catharsis, is often too focused on sounding 'pretty' to truly reach its full potential.
In conclusion, 'but, there's beauty in the fall from Grace' is a confusing and somewhat disappointing album. While Steinwall's talent is evident, the album fails to capture the intensity and originality of her previous work. Perhaps, after this bit of healing, Steinwall can fully spread her wings in future projects. But, for now, she's mostly stuck moving slowly, backwards and forwards.
