How many debuts have you heard that sound like landmark records? Perhaps a handful, but none ever burst on so confidently, full bodied and immediately memorable as if I could go quiet by Girl in Red.
girl in red (stylized in lowercase) began as the bedroom project of Horten, Norway native Marie Ulven who quickly turned heads with her 2018 and 2019 EP’s Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, the former containing the song “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” which amassed thousands of streams after being featured on a popular Norwegian music website.
To create the debut, Ulven enlisted the help of producers Matias Tellez and Finneas. The result is a highly listenable, wildly ambitious and forward instant classic.
The album starts with “Serotonin”, a crunchy, drippy rock song that start with “I'm running low on serotonin/Chemical imbalance got me twisting things/Stabilize with medicine/There's no depth to these feelings/Dig deep/can't hide/From the corners of my mind/I‘m terrified of what's inside” Right away the beat deepens and Ulven’s lyrics get quicker and a little more intense. The song shifts between these two dynamic changes to create something thrilling.
“Body and Mind” swings through a light R&B beat with an elongated sax loop, while Ulven launches into a bombastic chorus. “Hornylovesickness”, despite its audacious title is actually a bouncy track looking back a how one could have done better in a relationship with a partner. On the flip side, “You Stupid Bitch” is a punk-leaning rocker taking that certain someone to task who might see it differently. It’s a showstopper in it’s brazenness.
Really, if I could go quiet is an audacious debut brimming with incredible energy, innovation and brilliance. Marie Ulven has done great things so early in her career - she’ll only continue to do so. These songs by girl in red are a testament of craft and willingness to go for it without fear. That’s an example we all can learn from.
- Brendan Hilliard, Obviate Media
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