Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – GUSH

      Music centered around songs from a unique artist...

      11 · 09 · 2025

      It seems that the most successful careers belong to artists who operate on their own terms. The strategy of gradual development appears to be effective. Crafting each album to the best of one's ability while steadily rising on festival line-ups has proven to be more successful than the sudden surge of attention that often accompanies a debut, followed by a decline. American electronic music creator and producer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has evolved with every release; each album feels like an advancement and, more significantly, a progression. With her latest album ‘GUSH’, she is exploring new sounds and textures like never before.

      ‘What’s Between Us’ stands out as a highlight of the album. It begins with a quirky, 8-bit sound, featuring a repetitive glitch as the primary rhythm, which gets under your skin in a delightful way. About a minute in, a bass line joins Smith’s vocals, in which she uses her voice as an instrument, creating breathy, looped sounds. A third of the way through, her lyrics begin in earnest; “I feel safe with you” she sings, followed by “You don’t need to worry.” The song seems to explore the theme of taking risks, about stepping into the unknown despite feeling certain of the outcome, yet there’s an exhilarating element that urges you to set aside caution.

      This theme extends to the album as a whole. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has always had a connection with pop music—sometimes it was prominent, at other times more subdued. On her 2015 album ‘Euclid’, pop elements were present in subtle ways, but on ‘GUSH’, they take the forefront. It's a bold decision to pivot entirely from modular and meditative instrumental creation, focusing instead on tangible ideas and emotions, rather than relying solely on melodies and rhythms to convey the song's message and her feelings.

      Another highlight is ‘The World Just Got A Little More Big’. This track harkens back to her earlier modular work, featuring cascading synths accompanied by danceable, shuffling beats. The final third of the song is a dreamy, washed-out segment that yearns to stand alone but gracefully serves as a conclusion to the track. The album wraps up with ‘In the Dressing Room’, a 44-second instrumental piece—playful and charming, it pays a proper homage to her compositional roots.

      Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has delivered the album necessary for this phase of her career. Since her 2017 release ‘The Kid’, she has begun to embrace more traditional songwriting, and on ‘GUSH’, the songs feel fully realized. ‘GUSH’ is an album perfect for losing oneself in—simply press play, and you're transported. The only drawback is the absence of one or two solid instrumental tracks, which Smith usually provides. These would give listeners a chance to reflect on the journey thus far while gearing up for what’s next.

      8/10

      Words: Nick Roseblade

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