Sophia Stepehens’ debut album is tortured and torn, encapsulating the aspirations and struggles of the artist growing up. Love and Grief is a solitary and powerful work that revolves around the lyrics and themes of love and loss that permeate superficial relationships. To fully understand Sophia’s vision at eighteen, one must first consider her music’s deep pop, indie, and soul mix. “Love and Grief” is a concept album exploring the good times and the bad times that come with the most intense feelings in life, one song more than the previous one. ‘Muscle Memory’ is the first song that is hard to get out of your head, as is Stry Pop Rock from Muscle Memory, who does hardy care when relationships end and memories remain. It has become easy for someone to enrage about professionals as that person falls in love. “My memories are real, but the reason sounds strange to me. Love can forget — why wouldn’t I forget my deep connection to love”. It would be a lovely description of our feelings at that moment. ‘Get Go’ injects a more vigorous feel with its pop-rock sound influenced by punk. The hoodie-wearing couple’s vocals and rough-edged feel make it seem like the relationship was bound to fail from the beginning. It is a song of remorse and self-realisation, and Sophia’s voice quite well displays the dual forces of yearning and the repercussions. The electric guitars thrum throughout, and the chorus is emotionally liberating and assertive, which also serves the song well.
Next is ‘Up in Flames’, a folk-pop song that reminisces about youth’s longing and hook-up’s quick throw. It’s a relatable track because it was penned down in her first year in high school. It also demonstrates maturity because of knowing how even the best of the times don’t always last. The song exemplifies a modern composition featuring her powerful vocals, fancyings, and jazz guitar. Quiet songs that convey emotions beforehand, it’s an ever-present feeling explosion is inevitable. With its warm teardrop of a melody, ‘Little Things’ completes the album on a soft and contemplative note. The song expresses how not every affection needs to be verbal or overt and that love sometimes lies in the simplest gestures. It’s a heartfelt ballad through which Sophia conveys the simple workings of joy in the form of her work. Along with the album, musical tracks such as ‘Enough is Enough’ and ‘Things Will Never Be the Same’ address the elements of pain while moving forward. One of the strongest tracks, Enough is Enough, is a powerful and fierce pop-rock song that sees the dissatisfied side of Sophia. In essence, this is the album’s cataclysm, where the listener realises that love invites more hurt than the comfort it brings. The catchy chorus and driving beat make this a standout track, which most people would relate to one who was forced to walk away from something so enticing but fundamentally flawed. The album’s title track, ‘Love and Grief’, further develops the album by revealing more poignant parts. It’s a painful yet soothing song exploring the average human’s profound feelings and struggles. ‘I’m Still Here’ is a beautiful song recording that pays tribute to Sophia’s grandmother, who was no longer there. In this song, the suffering of watching the lovely and loving soul breathe their last is artistically portrayed. The song is a fusion of straining strings and a strong voice, which recalls how hard it is to stand the pain of being with someone who is losing their memories.
‘Beautiful Life’, the album’s last track, perfectly captures both the concepts of life and loss. It is a powerful song that starts with only a piano, gradually increases the volume, and adds vocals. And Lifefull of everything but love; death is inevitable, yet love gives meaning to life, on;y love matters, end and it is the store y. It is the climax of an album whose everything in its orbit is love, loss, and everything related to them. Sophia Stephens’ “love & grief” is a gripping debut. This is fully explained in the heart of her songs, which emanate honesty and emotion. Although each song suggests intimacy and personal matters, the critical ideas of love, hurt and recovery are so well articulated that the audience can relate to the artist’s emotions. The production matches the weight of the words and gives the listeners a new feel not only emotionally but also sonically. For someone who is having a romantic drama or even is suffering from heartbreak, this album is sure to resonate with many practices.
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