Album Review: Addison Rae - Addison

Even acting as a turning point in Addison Rae’s life and career, the result is just nothing too special. ‘Addison’ tries to bring as much nostalgic atmosphere to the album’s sound, but the layers of lackluster writing, production, and performance dilute it overall.

Addison Rae’s self-titled album is a second wind that flipped everything and everyone onto their heads, showcasing Addison’s place in the lavish fields of pop. The Americana glamour is embraced with some confidence, but there is a hint of sadness lurking within the album’s text. Holding onto it as tints of romance, family relationships, and internet points of view might crush and wobble under her feet. It’s a solid thematic idea that should work in both an ironic and a sincere fashion, but Addison’s lyrical writing just never lets these ideas spark or create interesting throughlines. Ending up gesturing more rather than digging deeper into those stark emotions.

Unfortunately, the music itself doesn’t exactly help matters. At its best, Addison Rae’s streaks of cooing or lower register singing work within the ethereal synth cascades of ‘Aquamarine’, the hazy atmosphere of ‘In The Rain’, and the shimmering trip hop of ‘Headphones On’. But at its weakest, her girlish upper register (that somehow sounds like a less effective FKA Twigs at spots) is sandwiched within some of the most underwhelming transitions, key changes, and grooves. The glossy atmosphere may be overall consistent, but the melodies and production tend to be undertuned.

Addison Rae’s attempt to craft her own sound and her own identity as a pop star is a curiosity that simultaneously lands and doesn’t land, where the production, performances, and writing tend to miss more than they hit. Showering everything with glimmers of gold that consistently sound atmospheric, but such curation of atmosphere sadly doesn’t lead to Addison Rae standing out as a result. For a record all about her, the hazy wave of sound just doesn’t bring out the compelling sides of her.

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Favorite Tracks: ‘Aquamarine’, ‘In The Rain’, ‘Headphones On’

Least Favorite Track: ‘Diet Pepsi’, ‘Fame Is A Gun’, ‘Summer Forever’