Alana Springsteen is one of the fastest-rising and most exciting talents to emerge in Nashville over the past year, releasing a fresh and engaging sound that gets stronger with every lyric and every single release. Today, she drops her first extended project – History of Breaking Up (Part One) – that kicks off an exciting new phase in her journey.
Alana Springsteen is an immensely fresh talent in the Nashville sonic landscape – with her easy Californian-infused country style, engaging lyrics and phenomenal vocal. Today, she has released her first extended project – History of Breaking Up (Part One) – that posits her as an artist of many layers and complexities.
Opening track ‘California’ established Springsteen as an artist worthy of note, offering a stunning muse on conflicted emotions. “Maybe it’s us or maybe I’m just / Falling in love with California,” Springsteen ponders with a golden infused, ringing acoustic guitar backdrop, it’s a swell of emotion that is enormously captivating, showing her ability to provide a catchy and dynamic song without the aid of huge production. Indeed, ‘Trying Not To’ is a dizzying collaboration with Roman Alexander, winding through the complicated spiral of emotions involved in a break-up. ‘Take back goodbye, said I changed my mind / Been there before but I’m tryin’ not to / Call you tonight but it’s almost like / I miss you more when I’m tryin’ not to.’ Both artists offer their unique and fresh vocals in a delightfully entrancing track that showcases a very real predicament.
On ‘Girlfriend,’ Springsteen unpacks what it means to be the one before the one. ‘You’re going to end up with her in the end / She’s your girl and I’m just your girlfriend.’ It’s an intoxicatingly emotional track that shows the vulnerabilities of Springsteen’s vocal in a very real and authentic way. This vulnerability is underlined yet further on ‘God Must Be Mad at Me,’ where Springsteen exposes her soul, with the aid of muted production as she questions unrequited love. ‘He gave me hope and gave me faith / Just to go and take it all away.’ Her vocal is simply flawless in its naked vulnerability, infusing real emotion in every line. So, ‘Homesick’ too looks back on memory lane, ‘If I don’t have your arms round me, I’m not where I’m supposed to be.’ It’s a waltzingly compelling melody that offers yet another layer to her story of heartbreak.
Of course, Springsteen has an empowered, sassy side that is showcased at the end of the project on ‘I Blame You’ and ‘Zero Trucks’ – two delightfully propulsive tracks that give her the ability to dance and sing out the toxins of the breakup in a free-flowing way and allow Springsteen to experiment lyrically and show her most artful songwriting. More than anything, this project has continued the showcase of Springsteen as an artist of immense capability of potential – it is to be hoped that this project gets the attention it deserves.
