‘Good Riddance’ review: Gracie Abrams’ debut album full of raw vocals and confessional songwriting

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Aaron Dessner, from American rock band The National, took the lead in producing and co-writing many of the songs, and the sound of electronics and layered guitar add a new depth to the music.

Abrams opens the record with “Best”, a self-reflection on her wrongdoings and her ineptitude at being a good partner. Lyrics like “All of your feelings, I played with them” delve into the intricacies of craving irreplaceable love, while “Full machine” focuses on Abrams’ dependency on a partner and her willingness to grasp at straws for affirmation in her relationship, shown in lines like “You can lie to me/ But if you asked me to run away/I’d go easily.”

“Where do we go now?”, the first single from the album, talks about the red flags you can’t overlook in love and highlights the figurative fork in the road after the end of a relationship. There’s also a sense of anguish and confusion about how to start anew. “Like we’re supposed to work somehow/Can’t you tell our light burned out?/ Got a lot to cry about/There’s nothin’ left here,” Abrams writes, referring to the way she drained herself to try and keep the relationship alive.

In “Will you cry?”, Abrams details how she can feel her partner slipping away and laments how they don’t want to embark on the same path. There’s nothing left between the pair; she thinks she must let go before she loses herself.

While much of her album revolves around heartbreak, she takes a turn on “Amelie”, where she recalls a fleeting conversation with a girl named Amelie that left an impact on her. Abrams grapples with the confusion of whether Amelie was even real while her memory plays tricks on her.

“Difficult” has a melody that strays from the melancholy sounds of the album, as upbeat instrumentals contrast the angsty and intense emotions of the song. With her insecurities and internal struggles on full display, Abrams divulges her inability to grasp “something missing” and doubts about family life, relationships and her own decisions.

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Meanwhile, the lyrics of “This is what the drugs are for” evoke an almost visceral side of Abrams, as she discloses her use of drugs to numb the pain and suppress the memories of her ex, saying her memories keep her “warm” even though, without her partner, “everything turns cold”.

Keeping with the theme of vulnerability, “Fault line” explains Abrams’ familiarity with her ex-partner’s faults. Still, despite proclamations that she has recovered from their break-up, she knows that she’d “break too” in a moment of vulnerability. “The blue” is another stand-out song in terms of theme; nestled in a melody of disbelief and unexpectancy, she gravitates towards a new, unknown love interest – potentially someone famous.

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Abrams closes the album with “Right now”, where she reminisces about the struggles of growing up and leaving her past behind. The reoccurring line “I feel like myself right now” is a major turning point and feels like an epiphany following the songs about desolation that dominate the album.

Abrams’ lyrical abilities exceed expectations and prove she is a profound songwriter. However, the progression, tempo and lines repeat in many of the tracks, affecting the album’s ambience.