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Sydney Sprague

Maybe I Will See You At The End Of The World

Written by: PP on 20/06/2021 17:01:04

"Maybe I Will See You At The End Of The World" is the debut album by singer-songwriter Sydney Sprague from Phoenix, Arizona, which has received quite a bit of hype across the media. Most of this has been focused on her authenticity, which comes across vividly through her impressive vocal range. She varies her expression from bedroom pop to alternative rock, though mostly remains within the confines of indie rock throughout the album.

She's at her best when she brings out the distortion. "Steve", for instance, sounds like a rock song with notable Natalie Imbruglia influence, whereas "Object Permanence" has an emotive, yet catchy chorus that's an instant winner. Other comparisons have been made to the likes of Avril Lavigne and Phoebe Bridgers for her simplistic indie-pop style: most often it's just an acoustic guitar and her voice guiding the expression forward. Not necessarily the most relevant of releases from a rock fan's perspective, yet there are solid moments like "Staircase Failure" where she goes full-electric and gets some oomph behind her soothing vocals.

And herein lies the problem. On its own, we can admire her singing talent. She can effortlessly move from sky-high pitch to lower mid-range more suitable nostalgia songs (see "What U Want"). But that alone doesn't make an album's worth of interesting songs. Most songs are too minimalistic to stand out for other reasons than her voice, leaving behind what feels more like an audition or a showcase, or perhaps both at the same time? As soon as additional instrumentation is brought in, such as on "Time Is Gone", the expression is infinitely more interesting and carries promise. But out of the ten tracks on "Maybe I Will See You At The End Of The World", arguably only three or four warrant further listening. In short, she's a darn good singer, but the songs don't leave behind a desire to go back to them, say in a few weeks' time.

Download: Object Permanence, Steve
For the fans of: Soccer Mommy, Natalie Imbruglia, Avril Lavigne, Phoebe Bridgers
Listen: Facebook

Release date 26.02.2021
Rude Records