Reviewer: Bella Martin
Released: 28th March 2025
Label: Captured Tracks
There is a moment in ‘Sweetness’, the second album by Atlanta’s girlpuppy – specifically when the alt-country vibe of ‘Beaches’ changes the atmosphere – that convincingly showcases it as a quintessential bedroom indie record. The album starts off with ‘I Just Do!’, which elegantly blends classic songwriting with Becca Harvey’s signature gentle vocals, dreamy synths, and lightly distorted guitar. This mix is undeniably effective: the stark difference between the album’s one intense riff and Becca’s flat delivery on ‘Since April’ is particularly intriguing, while ‘Champ’ is charged with a sense of frustration – it never quite reaches the emotional peak – and employs ‘90s slacker guitar tones. ‘For You Two’ also delivers an impact, as its carefully timed shift in pace creates a lighters-in-the-air moment, transforming the accompanying line (“If I don’t say it out loud / It’s like it never happened”) in an unexpectedly refreshing way. However, it’s a pity that at times these stylistic choices render the warmly familiar into something forgettable, as seen in ‘In My Eyes’. Likewise, ‘I Was Her Too’ drifts into a melancholy softness, and the light whispers of ‘Window’ are entirely unremarkable. Overall, ‘Sweetness’ excels in tapping into indie rock and bedroom pop genres to establish its place within the broader musical landscape - if only it could differentiate itself a bit more.
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