Indie Light

Willow Smith, more commonly known mononymously as just Willow is an American actor and musician. We’ve covered the artist before on Indie Light and you can click here to read more. Today, though, I’ll be reviewing her album ‘<COPINGMECHANISM>’ which was released October 7th 2022. 

‘<maybe> it’s my fault’ kicks things off with some fast paced strings bolstered by some high energy percussion, before Willow’s voice kicks in, and man does she have some incredible vocal chops, equally melodic and capable of blending in with the thrashing intensity of the instrumentals. It’s really impressive. This is a really lively and impactful track to kick things off with, and it really gives her a lot of room to explore things vocally, the softer moments punctuated by harder, heavier parts and yet it never feels like a stretch vocally. Plus the guitars especially in this track just shred so good, I could listen to them all day. 

‘Falling Endlessly’ is equally fast paced and high energy, the powerful momentum of the guitars and some seriously awesome percussion and bass elements that just explode, and again Willow’s voice is just perfection, the high notes especially are just awe inspiring. I like the balance of this and the previous songs, the highs and lows that really keep you engaged. The counterpoint between the more melodic and the frenzied and intense makes for such a powerful track. I also like that both tracks have really picked up right towards the end ensuring right up to the last moment you are just being hammered by the power of the track. 

‘curious/furious’ shakes things up, upfront it’s softer and more melodic, and you can hear the depth and maturity of her voice especially clearer in this entry. I love the clapping, I’m a huge fan of elements like this in songs, and it really works well here. I like how despite starting off relatively stripped back, it merges into heavier moments, the percussive beats especially really work well in this number. Willow has such an incredible voice, it carries its own unique weight and punch that make an already great song so much better. 

‘WHY?’ is another slower track, lighter strings build and Willow matches the energy and tone with lower toned vocals, but then of course it explodes, a frenetic and full bodied performance, that just goes crazy. I really appreciate that even though each song so far has felt like a different musical journey, there’s been a sense of internal consistency to the album, of artistic input and personality woven throughout, plus it’s been surprisingly balanced as well which is always appreciated. 

‘<Coping Mechanism>’ kicks things off with some really solid drum fills, really bouncy and engaging, also the bass really ties things together, and Willow’s voice once again matches it and hammers out a powerful beat. Sometimes against heavier backing, vocalists almost need to fight against them, but that’s not the case here, there’s an impressive balance and back and forth between the two elements that create a really complex and powerful track.

‘Split’ again brings things back down, slower more drawn out chords, and lighter, softer singing, a more even pace to the beat, until the percussion begins and the track begins to gain momentum and more energy but doesn’t quite lose the more melodic tone set at the beginning. I cannot applaud Willow enough, I mean I expected to like this album, because I enjoyed the previous one I reviewed so much but the progress, development and skill she’s shown thus far is amazing, and it’s a track like this, which shows such balance and precision and intensity that really sells it. 

‘hover like a GODDESS’ has really energetic strings start things off, and again the battling back and forth between the instrumentals and Willows singing creates something superb, and sort of reversing the order of the last couple songs, this starts of heavy and fast and has slow downs later on in the performance, subverting expectations and keeping us on our toes as we listen. This track also has some truly gorgeous and softer guitar moments right towards the end that I absolutely adored.

‘ur a <stranger>’ has a heady fusion of strings and drums that create a relentless beat straight away, and you just get caught up in the intoxicated medley. I love the balance between the powerful instruments and her softer driven vocals, it’s an appealing counterpoint, but equally her harder, harsher vocal additions really add to the performance as well. While it’s almost too close to call, I think this song is my personal favourite from the album, but seriously there is not a bad entry on this album. 

‘Perfectly Not Close to Me’ starts off with a relatively simple bass driven intro, and the addition of Yves Tumor’s deeper toned vocals, create a nice and somewhat different opening, and Willow leans heavily into the harder vocals I mentioned earlier, the result is a really interesting vocal performance and an overall solid track. 

‘No Control’ opens with some tight drum fills, it builds a nice beat, and Willow begins singing, back to the more melodic vocal range, softer and gentler, the song incorporating some light strings, but honestly the percussive elements really make this track. Equally this is another track that really shows off the breadth and depth of Willow’s skill as a singer, she truly explores and tests her abilities and makes some phenomenal music. 

‘BATSHIT!’ just absolutely explodes and hammers your eardrums from the first moment, a phenomenal blend of guitars, bass, drums in one powerful cacophonous blend only to break for another softer moment, picking back up again, creating a nice rise and fall as well finish up the album on an incredibly strong note. 

So that’s what I thought of Willow’s album <COPINGMECHANISM> and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. While you’re at it, make sure and support the artist by checking out their website, and by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.