Indie Light

Olivia Rodrigo is an American singer/songwriter, musician and actress from Murrieta, California. As an actress she is noted for her roles on the Disney channel shows, Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. As a musician she’s had incredible success, with three Billboard Hot 100 number-one Singles and two Billboard 200 number-one albums. Today I’ll be reviewing her second studio album ‘GUTS’ which was released September 8th 2023

‘All-American Bitch’ kicks off with a light acoustic guitar that blends perfectly with Rodrigo’s vocals, her voice rich and light and just wondrous. The track picks up in energy, and explodes, harder heavier guitars, and harsher vocals that counterpoint the softer, sweeter melody of the intro, the juxtaposition really serves the track really well and reinforces the narrative of the song as well. It’s a really strong opening that shows both the depth and range of the vocalist, but also gives us a solid impression of her as well. Also the guitar work towards the end is just sensational. 

‘Bad Idea Right?’ hammers forward right out the gate, a solid percussive beat, that builds and melds with Rodrigo’s voice. I love her ability to both play on the bucolically sweet pop sweetheart and this harder, heavier rock/punk infused persona as well. She’s so obviously talented, and I admire her ability to really weave nuance and narrative into her performance. She’s a superb vocalist, but I cannot move on without mentioning just how superb the instrumental backing is, especially the guitar which is just amazing. 

‘Vampire’ slows things down a touch, sustained piano chords, dripping with rich, melodic poignancy, and an excellent support to Rodrigo’s voice which is equally powerful and awe inspiring. This track is so catchy and profound, and you just feel her rawness and vulnerability and get absolutely caught up in the impactful narrative of the track. I try to focus on smaller artists who need to boost, but occasionally like today I’ll be inspired to review someone who is bigger, because I’m particularly drawn in by their music, and that’s exactly what happened here. This song drew me in like a siren and I was hooked. 

‘Lacy’ opens with delicate strings that blend with her soft, resonant voice which just touches something inside me. She’s a truly gifted performer, with a genuinely beautiful voice. I found myself getting lost in this track, the softness and yet obvious depth enveloping me.

‘Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl’ kicks things up a notch, a harder edged track, faster and more energy, and it’s good to see both sides of her vocal performance, the range and raw talent possessed by Rodrigo. It has such a captivating vibe and energy, and the explosive percussion and strings just create such a textured and engaging track. 

‘Making the Bed’ opens with a sustained synthy note, which breaks into some vocals, which blend together the faster delivery style we’ve seen in some of the heavier, harder tracks, with the melodic tones of some of the softer, slower entries. It’s a memorable track that sticks in your head long after you’ve heard it. 

‘Logical’ opens with rich, deep, piano chords which support Rodridgo’s voice, and with each track I fall more in love with her voice. She’s such a talented and vital performer, and I’m so eager to see her continue to grow and develop as an artist. I think because of the truly amazing vocals, mixed with the rich and powerful instrumentals, this track snags the top slot, as my personal highlight on a truly excellent album.

‘Get Him Back!’ turns the dial back up, heavier percussion infused beats, a strong and vibrant instrumental backing, which merges with her more confrontational vocal delivery style. I like the counterpoint throughout the album, the blend of the soft and subdued, and the straightforward and honest. She’s a talented musician, and it’s songs like this where she gets to experiment and share different sides to her that it comes through even more clearly. 

‘Love Is Embarrassing’ is another hard and heavy track, the percussion is truly top notch, absolutely flawless as it builds and merges with Rodrigo’s voice. I got absolutely swept away by this performance, and forgot to take any notes the first time around. It’s just got so much energy and passion, and a technical proficiency that sells it for me.

‘The Grudge’ slows things down again, piano chords lead us forward, into a truly captivating and emotional vocal performance. Someone told me that I seem to enjoy the sad songs, the ones filled with depth and emotion and I’ll agree to that, and this track is filled to the brim with regret and introspection and is just phenomenal. 

‘Pretty Isn’t Pretty’ brings the energy back up again, and you just get caught up in the melody and energy, and yet the story Rodrigo is relating is so real and honest, I don’t always talk about the lyrics or the story being told in a song, I have what’s been described as a personal approach to music reviewing, and yet this is such a poignant narrative about beauty standard and body positivity, something that Rodrigo earnestly conveys throughout.

‘Teenage Dream’ closes things out on a high note, an emotional and sincere track about self doubt and her own future. It’s incredibly powerful and really endeared me to the artist. She is incredibly self-aware and nowhere is it more clear than on this final track from an absolutely superb album. I have my personal favourite of the album, as you can see, but if you have to just listen to one track on the album, I’d suggest this one, because it is honest, and absolutely perfect.

So that’s what I thought of Olivia Rodrigo’s album ‘GUTS’ and if you’re interested in checking that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. Make sure and support the artist by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.