Singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine, known for her viral 2022 song “ceilings,” released her third studio album Older under RCA on April 5, 2024. Following the same sonic tones as her previous albums, the 24 year old musician certainly cements herself as a noted artist in the folk-indie pop lane.
Across 14 tracks, McAlpine showcases her evolution from five seconds flat (2022) to now underneath the new daring production elements and raw vulnerability of her confessional-like writing. McAlpine enters a new era of nostalgic, heartbreaking lyricism and soft melodies on Older, while reflecting on the passage of time and her journey as an artist.
Opening track, “The Elevator” introduces a hopeful tone to the more-so melancholic breakup album. In under two minutes, McAlpine aptly conveys the thrilling ups and downs of falling in love and young relationships. With lyrics such as, “It wasn’t slow, it happened fast / And suddenly, the only thing I saw was you,” McAlpine’s writing remains bare and seemingly underwhelming while simultaneously embracing the emotional turmoil of love. On tracks “Come Down Soon,” “Drunk, Running,” and “Broken Glass” the singer reveals Older‘s themes of uncertainty, regret, bittersweetness, and desire.
Fourth track, “Movie Star,” opens with slow guitar picking, Lizzy singing: “I’m special, he sees me / He chose me out of everyone / I feel like a movie star in the leading role / Famous to someone.” McAlpine reckons with a whirlwind of emotions as she struggles to come to terms with the confusing and tumultuous nature of a relationship. The insecurities and self-awareness of “Movie Star” are further explored in the seventh track, “I Guess.” Much like her previous work, McAlpine succeeds in connecting patterns of love and emotional turmoil with visceral lyricism and near-whisper vocals.
Released days after the album’s announcement, title track “Older” follows McAlpine details her anxious yet cathartic transition to her early to mid 20s. Although more stripped back and less complex than her previous work, McAlpine sullenly navigates the stillness rooted in her hopelessness. In the chorus, she lilts, “Thought it’d be over by now / Thought you would leave / Thought I would come to my senses / Wish I was stronger somehow.”
Older closes with final track, “Vortex,” McAlpine motivates herself to gain the strength to leave a toxic never-ending relationship. With its drawn-out crescendo, the track depicts the singer at her most honest, effectively tying the intimacy and grief of the record together. “But it’s always an act and it never lasts long / ‘Cause I always come back when I need a new song / And I’m tired of this and the way that it feels.” McAlpine’s choice of stripped, unique instrumentals for the album allows her to treat Older as a conversation between her and the listener as the singer deeply explores the intricate contradictions of her life.
