If you follow Gracie Abrams on social media (or me), you already know what day it is: The Secret of Us release day that is. The sophomore release by Gracie is finally here!
As the world gossips and ponders who the second-coming of Taylor Swift will be, Gracie Abrams throws her name in the ring (mockingly of course). The influences of Gracie’s new album are clear, but that doesn’t take away from the heart and clarity she finds on The Secrets of Us. Joined by frequent collaborator and the unspoken king of folk music, Aaron Dressner, Abrams delivered something quite cohesive and a bit livelier than her previous LP Good Riddance.
Dressner was also a co-writer on Taylor Swift’s most recent release The Tortured Poets Department and Swift’s “sister albums” Folklore/Evermore. The Secrets of Us feels like it could be a cousin to the latter. Supporting Taylor Swift on the Eras tour, “completely altered” Abrams’ own songwriting, she revealed recently and it shows, but not too much.
“At different points in the shows [she] makes it feel like an intimate venue despite the fact that there are 80,000 or 100,000 people sharing the space… That’s what I want so badly, because the joy is infectious.”
Songs like “Good Luck, Charlie” and “Let It Happen,” among others capture the intimacy Abram’s was after, where singles like “Risk” and “Close To You” are sure to light up whichever venue she finds herself playing in.
On a first listen, fans of the singer will notice a bigger and brighter sound on this record than her previous releases. Her verses are deeper, her bridges are bolder, but nothing sounds forced except maybe the Taylor collab on the title track.
“us.” is still one of the for sure stand outs on the album. Both Gracie and Taylor sound beautiful over the guitar picking instrumentals. It could be looking too deep into things, but Taylor’s inclusion feels more like a representation of her inspiration to Gracie and how she has always been a part of her heart-break recovery routine, than as a needed collaboration.
“Free Now” is another stand out and one of Gracie’s fullest songs yet. “If you feel like falling, catch me on the way down. I’ve never felt more empty. All I feel is free now,” are the closing lyrics that come after one of the strongest bridges from the album. There are many moments and lyrics that feel like a true evolution from Good Riddance and Minor. i.e. all of “Gave you I Gave you I.”
“Good Luck, Charlie” sees the singer wish the album’s co-writer and current roommate, Audrey Hopert’s, ex fair travels post-breakup and encompasses an underlying theme of the album, friendship. Where many songs play with the euphoria of crush culture (“Risk,” “Close To You,” “Let It Happen”) or the heartbreak that follows (“us.,” “Free Now,”) there are many moments that sound less like a diary and more like two girls opening up to each other about the heartbreaks they shared.
Hopert appears as a credit on nearly half of the tracks from The Secrcets of Us and performed some of the album at a few intimate shows with Gracie. Between Gracie, Dressner, Audrey, and Taylor Swift this release is a supergroup of pop-folk writing that takes you on a journey of falling in love, breaking your heart, and then telling the story to your closest friend.
Give The Secrets of Us a listen and let us know your thoughts!
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