Miss Grit‘s new album, Under My Umbrella, is an album about loneliness – both the embrace of it and the sadness of it. Loneliness can be liberating at times. It can feel great to be on your own with endless possibilities before you. It can also feel crushing, like your world has stopped and no one even thinks to look for you while they’re rushing around outside.
The pulsing, symphonic synths of “Tourist Mind” build to an upbeat outlook as you drop the car into drive and head out for a solo road trip to wherever you’d like (as Miss Grit / Margaret Sohn did around North America during a tour). When they sing, “I never wanted to be so alone,” you can’t tell if they’re happy or sad about it. It could be both depending on the moment. “Mind Disaster” sizzles with electric hums and Sohn’s modulated voice sounding like a robot awakening from a weird dream about someone they can’t place but whose presence they can still feel.
“I Won’t Count on You” has Sohn embracing the idea of not having to rely on someone (“I’m going to enjoy this. I won’t count on you.”). “It Feels Like” could be a shoegaze track if you swap the synthesizers for distorted guitars. “Where Is My Head?” is a hypnotizing trip-hop track with Sohn repeating simple lyrics like “You’re all so free.” and “You’ll never see inside of me.” as bubbling, brewing beats and bass surround them.
“Stranger” has Sohn feeling alone as a lover grows detached from them and they’re just trying to keep up before the race is finished. “You Will Change” seems to be about making your way out of the maze of grief with lyrics like “And one day it could all change. While you wait for pain, your heart will go on pushed into another day.” The track (appropriately) flows into “Overflow” – a song about wondering if you’ll know when it’s time to leave a relationship or if you’ll only realize after the other half has left.
The album ends with “Waste Me.” It’s a bit upbeat even though Sohn’s lyrics are sprinkled with sadness (“And it’s very me to feel misunderstood, but I barely try to explain myself to you.”). Sohn is facing the fact that they’re going to be alone, again, for a while, and that might be okay. They’ll just have to ride it out.
It’s all any of us can do, really, but this album helps you navigate it by not feeling so alone.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Yuri at Pitch Perfect PR.]
