Before I begin, and before I even listened to the record, I did not expect the Madison Beer record to mimic Bebe Rexha's.
The only reason I say that is because, the same with her debut, I presumed my expectations would be equitable with the quality, or more accurately, I thought my connection with the record would be one or two bars. Beer has said she does not speak "BOYSHIT," but it does not mean the songs cannot resonate with males.
Now my credibility may already be on Life Support, and for that I have to ask why. I mean what I say, I follow my heart, and I am true to myself. It also seems like Ms. Beer does the same and makes music she wants to. If that's not enough, that's okay. If I was not already aware she sang this song, and warmed a heart, "effortlessly" I would have mistaken her for Ariana Grande.
The notion that love is a battlefield has been addressed in various ways, in varying degrees, by a plethora of artists. How could I not mention the artists that directly states it in song, Pat Benatar? I mention this because in "Stay Numb and Carry On" the directive is to become emotionless and immune to the pain that love can bring. True love can bring pain and frustration too, but the emotional bruises are a different breed than what faux and/or unrequited love may cause.
"Blue" is one of my favorites. Beer really kills the Melanie Martinez "impression," and knows when to run from a relationship before the hypothetical homicide becomes the solution. It shines some light that someone's social media posts are not always indicative of their present state. Maybe even a Lana Del Ray lite, but this is nothing but a sincere compliment.
What follows after the color is more than a mere "Interlude," but can be an ode to the wrong side of unrequited love.
"Homesick" is an anthem for the extraterrestrial, or the outsider, to those that feel like this planet, this time, this plane of existence is not for them; it's transcendent of any barrier that may be, but it does not mean it may resonate with everyone. However, it does to me, and I know I'm far from the only one.
I can see why the album title is what it is, from that feeling one has in the previously mentioned paragraph, to being entangled in a relationship with a "Selfish" lover, and not only living through "Sour Times," but having to deal with rebound hopefuls, sycophants, and leeches of energy and love when one is not doing so hot, and that is just these few songs.
"Stained Glass" delves deeper into the differentiation between the perception and the reality. "My skin is made of glass/but apparently it's stained/ 'cause you notice all the cracks/but can't look inside my pain" is an effective and potent expression of this unfortunate circumstance. The notion that fame or wealth protects you from the negative emotions that are part of the human condition is ignorant. The pain expressed in this song could break one's heart, if they truly listen and can empathize, or even sympathize.
Everyone is going through something that cannot be seen from the outside, which is why the opening set of lines is nice reminder, that transcends the plight of Ms. Beer, to be kind to others. If that is too much of a drain, then leave well enough alone.
"Emotional Bruises" includes a line that could have inspired the title: "I can't do this no more, you got me on life support." What sounds like an endless cycle of break up, fall apart, come together, break a heart codependency comes to a point where the broken crutch of someone else's will-to-live must break free instead of break again. "I can't do this no more. I'm cutting off life support" is the final line before the chorus and the pleading outro poured from her still beating, and bleeding, heart.
"Everything Happens for a Reason" is a notion that proves to be true, just not at the present time from our singular point of view. If someone hurt someone back, what does that prove? What good can hurting another do? Especially when they love the other too?
I did not intend to write about most of the songs, but here we are. "Channel Surfing/The End" is a nice bookend to "The Beginning" and offers clips of previous tunes and a "thank you" too.
There is "Good in Goodbye," and it would not be right to end this review without mentioning one of the most infectious on the record, and I'm not even going to try. I do like choruses, and I see the purpose, but they aren't my favorite component. Usually, the verses offer something more substantial and expand on the narrative or message, while the chorus oft operates as a flashback frozen in time and rhyme, or a memory magnet.
Either way, I really dig the chorus and the notion that the song expresses. This can resonate with those who may have drunk a gin and toxic, or played ping-pong heart with a toxic partner, never reaching to love, but only ending at 40 (ounces or winks, only some will know).
