girl in red - if i could make it go quiet
Pop – Released April 30, 2021 – 11 songs, 33 mins
This week’s album is a request from TSR pal, Matt Wright. Matt released a comedy album last week and you should buy it. Check the link below:
http://www.mattwrightcomedy.com/
LUNDI
Bedroom Pop Icon Marie Ringheim, better known as Girl in Red, has amassed a devote following throughout her young career. Earlier this year fans were finally gifted with her first studio album, If I Could Make It Go Quiet.
Ringheim is a youthful and supremely talented musician who doubles down as one of two producers on the album. She is sonically ambitious on Quiet and at the age of 21 has managed to become an icon for so many. When she writes of her demons, which is often, it no doubt relates to the masses of youth. While seemingly personally troubled its return has created an excellent debut.
Now this is likely the old man in me talking but some songs in the first half (looking at you Did You Come?) are a little too on the nose to appreciate but she definitely redeems herself in the back half of the album (Rue, I’ll Call You Mine) by stripping it down and letting her emotions hang loose. It just screams potential. Major record companies are no doubt throwing everything at the wall to get her under contract.
From a production side the album is constantly entertaining. Ringheim in duo with fellow Norwegian Mathias Tellez make for a great team who have developed a clean and compact collection of tracks that never take over an entire song but never fail to support the musician either. Looping in Finneas on lead single Serotonin is a nice touch and likely signals the direction Girl In Red will move forward with.
Credit has to go to any musician that not only thinks of the music but how it’s presented as a package. The play on words that Girl In Red uses by titling the album if I could make it go quiet and finishing with a lyric less final track titled it would sound like this is the cherry on top of a well thought out debut album.
Quiet is an incredibly fun album. One that can be repeated over and over until the lyrics wear out their welcome. With some writing refinement Girl In Red is no doubt in for huge things.
Overall Rating: 7.9/10
Favourite Track: I’ll Call You Mine
ROZ
girl in red is another Gen Z talent on the up, part of today’s new wave of young musicians who’s access to technology and lo-fi recording setups allow them to get famous from the comfort of their bedroom studios. Now, with ease of access also comes market saturation – this couldn’t be truer for the music ecosystem of today, where it’s harder than ever to make yourself stand out from the crowd. For Norwegian singer-songwriter Marie Ringheim, it seems as though she found her lane, transitioning from her bedroom to the main stage as she releases her debut studio album with if i could make it go quiet. Will this album resonate with me, or am I simply out of touch with the youths of today?
Right out of the gate, Serotonin makes its mark with heavy hitting bass layers and even heavier hitting lyrics. Straight to the point, Ringheim shows how vulnerable she’s willing to go by opening like a book and spilling her guts about the intrusive thoughts she gets while covering ever-increasingly important topics such as mental health struggles, self-harm and depression. It’s worth noting that this particular song has a backing production credit by the one and only Finneas, the true constant in this wave of youth-pop. A producer that I vehemently respect in all aspects; his participation gives the record a stamp of legitimacy within an oversaturated pop music market.
The album has many personal standouts: the clever and immersive vocal effects in Did You Come (1:48 being the earworm that stuck with me for the majority of my week), the fantastic arrangements on the Rhodes piano in Body And Mind and finally the laid back groove and guitar melody in my personal favourite of the bunch in . (and no that is not a typo, the song is literally called dot!). Overall, the production quality is stellar considering it came from this 22 year old and her co-writer and producer, Matias Tellez, who I had yet to hear from until now as well. Lyrically, Ringheim is raw and holds nothing back - what you see (or hear in this case) is what you get, and that includes both the good and the bad. Her vocal chops really shine in Midnight Love and Apartment 402, displaying her unique charm as both a vocalist and a lyricist. Things taper off with I’ll Call You Mine and sadly it ends on a weak note with Would Feel Like This, a closer that mashes together orchestra instruments into a seemingly contrived afterthought. This album deserved better, damnit.
if i could make it go quiet takes the intimate, new age sounds of bedroom pop and wraps it up nicely into a neat little mainstream package. In a similar vein as artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Ellish, Ringheim showcases her ability to link together important subjects and catchy pop riffs in order to help spread awareness for modern day mental health struggles. While her debut album is a little rough around the edges, there is no doubt in my mind that her success within the music industry will not go quietly at all.
Overall Rating: 7.6/10
Favourite Song: .
REID
Marie Ulven Ringheim is a 22 year old singer-songwriter from Norway. She kickstarted her career on SoundCloud in 2015 and garnered attention with her catchy pop songs on mental health and romance. Earlier this year she released her first studio album, if i could make it go quiet with stage name girl in red.
Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve. From the opening lyrics of Serotonin, Marie sings about her struggle with mental health, dark thoughts, insecurities and the medicine she takes to keep her in check. Very revealing stuff. The message is delivered in an uplifting fashion with its upbeat, pop rock. For listeners dealing with similar circumstances, I bet it’s a good coping mechanism. I felt some similarities with fellow advocates, Twenty One Pilots here. if i could make it go quiet deals largely with romance and heartbreak in multiple ways. She’s silly with hornylovesickmess and You Stupid Bitch and more serious in midnight love, . and I’ll Call You Mine. The former duo makes me feel like the old guy at the party. The latter set is much more enjoyable. No matter how you shake it, her beautiful voice leads the way.
girl in red has a bright future as an artist. Add mental health advocate and LGBTQ representative to the list and she could be on her way to stardom. if i could make it go quiet is a solid debut album.
Overall Rating - 7.3/10
Favourite Song - I’ll Call You Mine