“I Know I’m Funny haha” is a playful, sincere, and enticing album by Faye Webster
“Better Distractions” is a great opening track to Faye Webster’s new album, I Know I’m Funny haha. The song is enticing, summing up feelings from quarantine in the first verse: “Sit around until I find something better to spend my time” and “nothing really lasts that long for me to realize, I’m still alone, and you’re not with me” pulls the listener into a shared experience. She takes the depressive quarantine mood further with the second verse as she sings “I tried to eat, I tried to sleep /but everything seems boring to meI don’t know what to do.” The chorus is simple and functionally repetitive.“Will you? will you? will you” is repeated, beckoning for her unrequited love interest, hoping that their heart may have changed, as she sits in quarantine thinking of them, bored.
The title track of the album is another highlight, short and sweet, with meaningful lyrics and an enticing melody, guitar riff, and beat. In 2 minutes and 43 seconds, Webster is able to convey a vivid picture of two lovers sitting — perhaps arguing — on a front porch, moving out of an apartment, and starting a new chapter of their life together, with insecurities. In the second verse, Webster sings “ she said I’m funny and then I thanked her”, “ But I know I’m funny haha”, this is such a perfect lyric, illustrating Webster’s confidence, humour, and ability to reflect her personality in her music, making it personal and impactful. It’s clear why this track was chosen to be the title of the album, catching the attention of potential listeners as they scroll through new releases on Spotify.
“In a Good Way” is the first track I heard from Webster, and it instantly became one of my favourite new tracks. The opening of the track is jazzy, and although the lyrics are minimalistic, they completely match the vibe of the song and are illustrative of the feeling Webster is successful in portraying : “You make me wanna cry in a good way” she sings repeatedly. Webster has somehow made a beautiful and ethereal song about happy tears that sounds exactly like what happy tears feel like.
Webster is amazing at using repetition as a lyrical device in her songs. She repeats “ I don’t feel this kind of type of way” in the song “Kind Of” again and again, without sounding derivative and instead further illustrating the theme of any song she utilizes it in.
“Cheers” is a more rock-centric and gritty song than the rest of the album, and stands out as another highlight. Webster’s wit and humour shines in this song as well:“ You said if we weren’t in love / We’d still be best friends / We both tell the same jokes / Over and over / Wonder if we’ll get married / Before my brothers” with a simple repeating chorus, “and let’s cheers to you. / And let’s cheers to me”.
In “ A Stranger” Webster ponders“and today I got upset over this song I heard,
and I guess was just upset because why didn’t I think of it first.” This reminded me of a lyric in Phoebe Bridgers “Chinese Satellite”: “I wish I wrote it, but I didn’t, so I learn the words”. Bridgers and Webster are two of the best singer-songwriters right now. With Bridgers having a breakout year in 2020, I can only hope 2021 will bring the same to Faye Webster.
8.5/10
thanks to Petra Chase
