Spoken With A Severed Gut

Grace Ives “Loose”

I was a little surprised to see that this new Grace Ives single is released by Universal Music Group given the scrappy Bandcamp indie nature of her previous record. But on a musical level it makes sense – a lot of the appeal of her music is how it sounds like someone from a more indie/punk background reworking modern pop aesthetics to suit her, rather than the other way around. “Loose” sounds like a logical step forward for her, full of the nervous energy and sharp dynamics of her last record, but a little smoother and more confident in presenting a big chorus. Ives’ lyrics here fixate on stress and a desperate need to alleviate it, but the angst seems less focused on the immediate concerns of being broke or worrying that you’re not good enough and more on the question of whether this is ever going to end. Like, are you on the verge of getting to a better position in life, or is this just how it’s going to be?

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