Album Review: Grace VanderWaal — Perfectly Imperfect EP
Kansas-born Grace VanderWaal burst into the music scene earlier this year when she won America’s Got Talent. The 12-year-old singer/songwriter and ukelele player has now released her first EP, Perfectly Imperfect. Let’s see how it all panned out.
1. “I Don’t Know My Name” — 10/10
The track that sparked VanderWaal’s rise to fame is the first track on her EP, and it is a great place to start. Her hushed vocals sing earnest lyrics with just a ukulele as backup, until beautiful strings join in on the second verse. The bridge is quiet, and her lyrics flow together seamlessly — VanderWaal isn’t overly concerned with making perfect rhymes or rhythms, and doesn’t force volume to get her message across. Instead the arrangement is beautifully minimalistic until the end, when the music swells. Percussion and strings come together to punctuate the finale before a simple harmony on “I’m just trying to find my way” closes it all out. This track is beautiful and deserved the attention it received on America’s Got Talent — VanderWaal is a talented vocalist, but her songwriting is also superb, as this first track demonstrates.
2. “Clay” — 10/10
Reinventing the classic phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” VanderWaal’s lyrics are stellar on this powerful track. Backed by a beautiful piano accompaniment, she combines beautiful, mature lyrics with her amazing vocals — they’re particularly impressive at 2:44. The ending grows richer and deeper, perfectly closing out this stunning track.
3. “Light The Sky” — 9/10
This track sounds a little less polished than the rest with an often-shifting rhythm throughout, but VanderWaal’s lyrics and melodies are still meeting the very high bar she has set thus far. Perfectly Imperfect has already shown a tendency to finish strong, and “Light the Sky” is no exception — the strings, percussion, and ukulele perfectly team up to close out this track.
4. “Beautiful Thing” — 9/10
Written as a tribute to VanderWaal’s sister, “Beautiful Thing” features less artful lyrics than its predecessors, but the melodies and instrumentation remain immaculate. VanderWaal sings honestly from the heart, and her soul shines through on this love song.
5. “Gossip Girl” — 10/10
Calling out an unfaithful friend, this track is the most instrumentally intricate of Perfectly Imperfect. This track unconventionally combines a ukulele with a deep bass line, but the gamble really pays off. VanderWaal’s angst and yet her maturity are incredibly visible on this track, both instrumentally and lyrically. “Not trying to point you out here / Just making the facts clear,” she sings. This track finishes the EP out on a high note, if there were ever a low note to be found.
Ultimately: 9.5/10
VanderWaal’s first EP is beyond impressive. There’s never a dull moment — her honest lyrics, powerful vocals, and beautiful instrumentation all work together to create an amazing first release. This is a fantastic first EP and I am excited to see where VanderWaal goes from here.
