Back in 2006 and 2007, at the center of the hype-storm for the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s grammy success, Karen O wrote and recorded the material on her current 2014 album release “Crush Songs”. The album offers a wistful retrospective as O looks back on where she was emotionally during that time. “When I was 27, I crushed a lot,” she says of her new solo album, “I wasn’t sure I’d ever fall in love again. These songs were written and recorded in private around this time. They are the soundtrack to what was an ever-continuing love crusade.”
Karen O has now graciously chosen to share these private songs with the rest of the world in a release on September 5th, 2014 via Cult Records. The album features a lo-fi, home-recorded sound that is stripped down to its core with Karen O’s vocals shining through in a vulnerable and warbling fashion, much like her recent oscar-winning song “The Moon Song” for the movie Her. The album also features sketches from Karen O as the album cover.
All of the songs clock in at under a minute and a half but despite the short length, O delicately verbalizes her inner monologue, delivering complete thoughts and musings in that short time frame. On tracks like “Rapt” and “So Far”, she gently muses about the possibilities that are in front of her while still trying to protect her heart. Pain and longing mark tracks like “NYC Baby” and “Body” as beautiful simple heartbreak ballads. “King” offers a touching tribute to the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. O falls heavy on the nostalgia in tracks like “Indian Summer” and “Sunset Sun” as she remiscences in a bittersweet tone.
“Crush Songs” is now available for purchase as of September 5th.
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