Nov 1, 2022
The Loneliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen | Album Review
Carly Rae strikes again with a mix of disco, indie pop, and even some folk/country inspirations.
Many could have easily called out Carly as a one hit wonder with her 2012 hit “Call Me Maybe”, but Jepsen has consistently shown she’s got a prowess for making perfectly crafted pop albums since her meteoric 80s pop inspired Emotions. The Loneliest Time is yet another upbeat stellar number from the Canadian Idol star. One thing she always gives is variety. You get a grab bag sounds that you think shouldn’t work together (disco, 80s funk, country, modern pop, and folk), but all come together in a very cohesive way. Jepsen wanted to explore the realms of isolation on her latest album:
“Knowing this music will be out there for everyone to hear makes me feel more exposed than I ever have before putting out an album. I don’t even really know how to start talking about it without sounding sad… I didn’t feel surrounded by a ton of strong foundations in my life. I wasn’t really in a place of, What’s gonna follow up Dedicated, but, What do I do with these feelings I don’t wanna have?”
The album opens on the stellar glittering “Surrender My Heart”. I love arpeggiated synths that remind of Madonna’s “Lucky Star”. The track sizzles and bursts through the synth production. Lyrically, Jepsen is very transparent in own emotional turmoil she’s going through, “So, I’ve been tryin’ hard to open up/ When I lost someone, it hit me rough/ I paid to toughen up in therapy/ She said to me, ‘Soften Up’.” Clearly, Carly is trying work against her isolating ways and put down her walls to be vulnerable. It’s also the first time she has ever swore on an album, “I know you hate that I still test your love/ I’m tryin’ not to fuck this up.” Unlike the Taylor album, this feels much more honest and raw even in its shimmering tone. I love both the sound and words Jepsen has put together for this track. The sentiment of finally being fully open to someone is something universal. “Joshua Tree” is probably one of the most modern pop forward track (aside from the playful “Beach House”). You really hear it much more from the production. In her exploration in loneliness, she takes the need to be alone as the thesis to this song. Her escape to desert is her way to come into her own, “I‘m in the moment, livin’ undercover/ Paintin’ on each other all the colours, I can’t get enough/ California dreaming’s never what it seems/ But here it comes, I know what I must do now.” It’s easy to get sucked into the catchy chorus, “I need it (Da, da-da-da-da-da)/ I feel it (Da, da-da-da-da-da)/ I see it (Da, da-da-da-da-da).” Compared to some of the other synth based tracks, this one is more middle of the road for me. “Talking to Yourself” adds just the right blend of 80s mall inspired funk, modern pop, and a little vaporwave flare. The chorus is made for you to sing along. The little pause before she finishes the line, “When you’re talking to your… self”, is just the perfect touch. As the theme of loneliness streams through the album, we’re doubling back on this person who made us feel so invisible in the relationship. Carly adds the perfect amount of attitude to sell the feeling, “You were never just miserable/ Without taking me with you all the way/ Don’t it hit you subliminal?/ Now that I’m not the only one who’s taking the blame?…/ Am I keeping you up at night?/ Keeping you up at night?/ I’ll never let you be, no.” I am glad she decided to release the song as a single. It is far too catchy not to have radio play.
“Far Away” echos the sonic landscape of “Western Wind”. Instead of the folksy vibe, we get a more shimmering indie pop vibe. It’s a very warm sound. This marries well with Jepsen’s lines on looking to brought back into a sense of belonging. Carly centers around her pension for creating attributes in the man she has fallen for. She catches herself here and attempts to make an honest connection, “I’d give this love a second try/ First, I just imagined all your qualities and that’s my fault/ But if you could put my feet back on the ground/ We could try to introduce ourselves.” At the end of the day, all she is looking for is someone who needs her. The chorus asks for the promise of not being left alone, “Just tell me you need me side by side/ The sweetest words of my whole life/ Oh, baby, not far away, not far away/ From that conversation.” “Sideways” brings to mind a more nocturnal neon dressed locale. The hazy production and little bit of funky guitar work is reminiscent of some of my favorites aspects of the City Pop genre. Lyrically, we’re in a similar place to Carly Simon’s “Coming Around Again”. Things can all be crumbling around you, yet you’re in the best of all moods from the love you have for your partner. The pump of serotonin is in full force from her new found love, “Everything’s going my way/ And I like to get my way/ Even when things go sideways/ Rainin’ on my parade/ I get all my confidence from you.” Although sugary in its context, it’s never saccharine.
Jepsen always has one more goofy/kitschy track that falls short for me, this album’s version of that is “Beach House”. It’s a very playful look at online dating and the numerous lies, creeps, and freaks you run into by going to the apps. There’s a health since of humor to these dating disasters, “Boy number two had a beautiful face/ I highly agreed to go back to his place/ His wife really had some impeccable taste/ She was sweet though.” This is just one of those songs that I can’t get past the gimmick of. It’s great for those bad dates and lost nights (you’ll get a good laugh). I just don’t see myself going back for seconds on this track personally.
“Bends” has the most ambient tone of all the tracks on the album. It flutters like the light off the oceanside. The subtle glitter washes over you like a ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds when the chorus comes along. Carly is fighting against her feeling of loss. I enjoy the lines, “Lonely, am I bein’ sensitive?/ Blue eyes, you are the sensitive one”, which acts as a metaphor on her eyes betraying her emotions surrounding this loss in her life. In the end, we’re given a sense of reassurance from the chorus, “Here’s a jar of tears I’ve cried/ Oh, keep it in a sacred place/ Hold me in your humble grace/ ’Cause I can feel the darkness sometimes too/ But I can feel the sun on you.” The warmth of the music matches sense of clarity she seems to have around the passing of someone.
Jepsen first introduced us to her latest project through the folksy “Western Wind”. The calmer airy sound brought in brings to mind the end of summer as temperatures start to fall. Carly paints a picture of a blooming relationship that has put her at a crossroads. The bridge takes us to this question, “But could you give me peace of mind?/ If I return to you in time, my golden arrow, mmm.” A really enjoy this softer slightly spring-like vibe she’s worked in sonically. This is echoed beautifully in the chorus, “Comin’ in like a western wind/ Do you feel home from all directions?/ First bloom, you know it’s spring/ Remindin’ me, love, that it’s all connected/ (What is love?)/ Comin’ in like a western wind.” The mix of budding new emotions in this relationship work well against the soundscape. As a lead single, it’s one of my favorites from her catalog and a great introduction to her latest palette of melodies.
“So Nice” gives us the name of her tour for the album. It’s catchy with it’s climbing and descending chorus and infectious “La La La” lines that come on at the beginning of each verse.
“Bad Thing Twice” is yet another glamorous moment of chillwave/80s pop flavored beauty. Like prior songs in the same palette, she absolutely shines in effervescent neon streams of color sonically. I am hard pressed to find something I dislike in the production here. Carly wants to give herself some clarity around this man she’s fallen for, “Can’t stop feelin’ the rain before the thunder/ I thought it through and I wanna do a bad thing twice/ Is it my, is it my destiny?/ I wanna do a bad thing twice.” She adds in little nods to incompatibilities like mix-matched zodiac signs, but in the end his lonely eyes have her wanting to commit the sin all over again. I really enjoy this song. We continue with the chill wave/mall music and 80s funk-pop inspiration on “Shooting Star”. Carly crafts these moments in such a way that you want doll yourself up and go out on the town. Here, our loneliness has become the catalyst to some hot and heavy feelings. Carly seems willing to turn up heat with this man she’s caught eyes with, “I might sleep with you tonight/ If you wanna know why/ Just because summertime/ And you look fine.” The shooting star he’s caught is the come hither looks she’s been giving. I love the direct and catchy tone the chorus takes, “I got you now, I’m Scorpio/ It’s physical, it’s natural/ My spiritual, my animal/ Caught my shootin’ star.” This is probably one of the more overtly more sensual songs in Jepsen’s catalog. She executes this quite well in a way that both feels on brand and honest.I got the first taste of “Go Find Yourself or Whatever” from her So Nice tour just before the album released. The song takes a full western country swing. I sounds like sitting in the back of a pick up and staring up at a star filled desert sky. Jepsen fully creates a sense of ache over cutting this man free to explore, “You feel safe in sorrow/ You feel safe on an open road/ Go find yoursеlf or whatever/ I wake up hollow/ You madе me vulnerable/ So go find yourself or whatever/ I hope it treats you better than I could do.” There’s a clever little wink and nod to give just enough brightness to what emotionally is a very solemn feeling song. The acoustic guitar, distant synth, and Carly’s cadence gives a very wistful feeling around this person that she’s set free. It might be a surprise, but she can make a mighty fantastic western song. TikTok has done a fabulous job at giving “The Loneliest Time” the perfect amount of publicity. Carly gives us a little disco pop number assisted by Rufus Wainwright. At this point, I’m sure you have seen the meme generated from the lines “I’m coming back for you baby/ I’m coming back for you!” This is full Jespen goes Donna Summer in the best way possible. The interplay between Carly and Rufus tells a story of lovers how crumbled before they could truly connect. Both characters still yearn to reconnect and fix where they left off, “I’m comin’ over tonight/ Knock on your door just like before/ I need that look in your eyes (Look in your eyes)
’Cause we’vе had the loneliest timе (Loneliest time)/ I’m thinkin’ all through the night (All through the night)/ I could be yours just like before/ Rewrite another try.” She chose a fabulous way to end out an album on lonesome feelings through a duet that brings us back together again.
I didn’t know what to expect from the Carly after hearing the few tracks that had released prior to the album’s drop. Some had me excited and others had me worried, but I have to say I am extremely pleased with what she’s put together for this latest project. Most songs lie along the side of 80s spiced indie pop songs all with a wonderful synth-pop base. Unlike Emotions, which was more a love letter to 80s sugar pop, The Loneliest Time draws only a light inspiration from the era while keeping things fresh, interesting, and warm. The sounds seem to only heighten the emotional landscape of isolation, loneliness, and yearning that Jepsen wanted to explore throughout the album. I think she did an overall wonderful job and see myself returning to this album numerous times in the future. I had a hard time narrowing down favorites, so you know I really enjoyed the album. Honestly, I can say my only detractor from the album is “Beach House”, which doesn’t do it for me at all. “So Nice” and “Joshua Tree” aren’t my favorites, but I don’t see them as skippable in the least bit. She’s also given you 3 additional bonus tracks (which I didn’t include in this review) to give a listen too as well. If you are a fan of Carly’s or love a good synth-pop album, give this a listen. My favorite tracks:
- “Surrender My Heart”
- “Talking to Yourself”
- “Bends”
- “Western Wind”
- “Bad Thing Twice”
- “Go Find Yourself or Whatever”
My overall rating: 8.5 out of 10.
