By: Ila Karthik
Whites and pinks, lace and tulle, and messy hair: cover art that offers a perfect visual introduction to what Grace Ives is doing on Girlfriend, her third studio album ever. Grace Ives is a Synth-Indie Pop New Yorker who blends intimate lyrics with explorative electronic beats. She broke through in 2022 with Janky Star, a bedroom pop release that felt like a dive into a personal diary through lo-fi synths. Ives hit what she’s called a ‘true rock bottom’ after touring Janky Star as she struggled with many personal issues including substance abuse. She eventually got sober and moved across the country to Los Angeles and started over again. Girlfriend is a document of her transition and embracing her authentic self without all the noise.
On Girlfriend, Ives and her collaborators used multiple different instruments and sounds to create an experimental yet intentionally varied soundscape. Each track introduces a new vibe while never losing the thread of what ties the whole album together. Ives handles vocals, drum programming, and synthesizers across the whole record, but the instrumental palette shifts dramatically from song to song in a way that keeps the album feeling alive and unpredictable. Ariel Rechtshaid, whose production credits include Vampire Weekend, Haim, and Adele, brings a lot of structure to the album as a whole. He handles drum programming on almost every track, and his touch is felt most clearly in the rhythmic precision that keeps even the weirder, more experimental moments grounded and danceable. He plays congas and glockenspiel on “Now I’m,” adds upright bass and percussion to “Neither You Nor I,” and even lends his voice to “My Mans,” which adds another layer of intimacy to an already vulnerable track. His engineering across the full record is meticulous without ever feeling too calculated. He always lets Ives’ vocals breathe naturally rather than getting swallowed by the production around it.
John DeBold’s contributions are equally varied and arguably the secret weapon of the album’s second half. He plays strings on “Fire 2,” “Dance With Me,” and the closing “Stupid Bitches,” giving those tracks a throughline of orchestral texture that ties the record together subtly. His guitar work appears on “Drink Up” and “Dance With Me,” his bass anchors “Trouble,” and a cello on “Stupid Bitches” gives the closing track an unexpected gravity underneath all its euphoric synth energy. DeBold also contributes vocals scattered across six tracks in less than obvious ways, but they add fullness and dimension to the arrangements. His synthesizer work on the final two tracks in particular helps push the album toward something movie-like in its closing stretch, dramatizing the album to a greater extent. Together, Ives, Rechtshaid, and DeBold create a beautiful production without overwhelming any specific element.
A highlight of this album was definitely “Avalanche.” The vocals are bright and paired well over an almost giddy beat. A really unique touch was the glockenspiel and it utterly embodies the energy of the song. Everything is mixed so well that all the layers just melt into each other and leave you with an enjoyable, easy listen. There’s this angsty teenage girl energy running through it that it feels just like driving too fast with the windows down and not a care in the world.
“Fire 2” is my personal favorite track on Girlfriend. I would describe it as Lana Del Rey meets Lorde meets Charli XCX. It’s an unusual hyper-indie pop with heavy grand piano chords anchoring a more electronic beat underneath. Her vocals are like honey and really do remind me of Lana in this song as she sings so smooth and unhurried even when the lyrics are so raw and intentional. The writing here is so vivid and intimate, really allowing you to peer into Ives’ mind and the emotions that went into the making of this album.
“My Mans” is another hot track and the emotional center of the whole album. The piano in the opening is a little funky melody that catches you off guard and swells into a dramatic chorus that reminds me of “Sad Girl” by Lana Del Rey. The violins dramatize “My Mans” and give it a differentiating factor from the rest of the songs.
“Garden” is very different from the rest of the album in an ethereal, goosebump-inducing style. Her voice floats above the mix in an angelic way, softer and more delicate than almost anything else on the record. The background harmonies are so warm and seamless and wash over you in a very pleasing, easy manner. I think that this would’ve been a perfect closer with its stillness that feels like a nice exhale. One of the most unique and quietly beautiful moments on the album.
“Stupid Bitches” is a 7.5/10 and such a fun way to actually close things out. It’s rambunctious electronica energy with excellent synth work. It definitely is chaotic yet celebratory and a little unhinged, juxtaposing with the softness of “Garden.”
Overall, Girlfriend is an extremely well produced record from start to finish — the kind of album where you can tell real care went into every single detail. If you enjoyed listening, similar releases include Lorde’s Melodrama, Sky Ferreira’s Night Time, My Time, or just go back and start from the beginning of Grace Ives with Janky Star.
Listen to Girlfriend below:
Spotify
Apple Music
Bandcamp
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